1953 Sikkimese general election

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1953 Sikkimese general election
mid-1953 1958 →
12 seats in the Sikkim State Council
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party SNP SSC
Seats won 6 6

General elections were held in Sikkim in mid-1953.[1] The Sikkim National Party and the Sikkim State Congress both won six seats.[1] Voter turnout was less than 30%.[1]

Electoral system[]

The State Council was established in 1953 by the Chogyal.[2] It had 18 members, of which 12 were elected and six (including the President) appointed by the Chogyal.[2] Of the 12 elected members, six were for the Nepali community and six for the Lepcha and the Bhutia communities.[2]

Candidates for election to the Council had to be at least 30 years old, whilst the voting age was set at 21.[1] Around 50,000 voters registered for the election.[1]

Results[]

PartySeats
Bhutia-LepchaNepaliTotal
Sikkim National Party606
Sikkim State Congress066
Appointed members––6
Total6618
Source: Hamlet Bareh

Constituency-wise[]

# Constituency Reservation Name Party
1 North-Central Bhutia-Lepcha Sonam Tshering Lepcha Sikkim National Party
2 Martam Topden
3 Sikkimese Nepali Khus Narain Pradhan Sikkim State Congress
4 Gangtok Bhutia-Lepcha Chodup Lepcha Sikkim National Party
5 Netuk Bhutia
6 Sikkimese Nepali Adhiklal Pradhan Sikkim State Congress
7 Namchi Bhutia-Lepcha Kunzang Rapgay Sikkim National Party
8 Sikkimese Nepali Kashi Raj Pradhan Sikkim State Congress
9 Jai Narayan Subba
10 Pemayangtse Bhutia-Lepcha Sonam Wangchuk Sikkim National Party
11 Sikkimese Nepali Dhan Bahadur Gurung Sikkim State Congress
12 Nakhul Pradhan
Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette[3][4]

Appointed members[]

In addition to the elected members, five members were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the Chogyal; John S. Lal (President of the Council and Dewan of Sikkim), Rai Bahadur Densapa, Tekbir Khati, Palda Lama and Hon Lt Prem Bahadur Basnet.[3][4]

Executive Council[]

Following the elections, an Executive Council was appointed, which consisted of the President of the Council, John S. Lal and two of the elected members, Sonam Tsering and Kashiraj Pradhan.

Name Responsibilities
John S. Lal President of the Executive Council
Kashiraj Pradhan Public Works, Excise, Education, and Transport
Sonam Tsering Bazars, Forests, Health, and Press & publicity
Source: Proclamations from the Chogyal and the Dewan[5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Hamlet Bareh (2001) Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim Mittal Publications, p17
  2. ^ a b c Bareh, p16
  3. ^ a b "Results of elections - 1953". Sikkim Darbar Gazette. 2 (12). 12 May 1953.
  4. ^ a b Pem Choden Tenzing (July 2019). Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 (Thesis). p. 147. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  5. ^ Tashi Namgyal (4 August 1953). "State Council and Executive Council Proclamation - Memo No. 525". pp. 25, 28. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
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