Pro-incumbency holds sway in Sikkim, Arunachal

The ruling dispensations in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have returned to their respective seats of power in the two hill states in the Assembly elections held on April 19 along with the Lok Sabha elections. Both parties have won landslide majorities, reducing the Opposition to a nought.

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) led by reigning chief minister Prem Singh Tamang left just one of the total 40 seats for its rival Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) headed by former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling. Chamling himself lost from both the constituencies he contested.

Ironically, Tamang had his political apprenticeship under Chamling, known to be the longest reigning chief minister in India. In Arunachal Pradesh, it is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which retained itself in power by winning 46 of the 60 seats in the Assembly.

In fact, 11 of its candidates had been returned unopposed after the nomination process closed. Another nine seats have also been bagged by BJP allies. Of them, five have gone to National People’s Party while Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) cornered three seats. The Congress had to be content with just a single seat while three independents were able to carve out victories.

It seems the SKM mainly drew support through its welfare schemes such as ‘Sikkim Aama Yojana’, ‘Vatsalya’ and ‘Bahini’ which extended a variety of financial grants to the widows, divorced/separated women, and also medical grant for in-vitro fertilisation for couples without children.

It also cashed in upon the fears of Sikkim’s special status under Article 371F being revoked by the Centre, given the abrogation of Article 370 offering special status to the Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP having support base among Gujarati and Marwari business class in the tiny state, mostly bracketed with ‘outsiders’, could not clinch any win.

 Khandu who would be assuming office of the chief minister for the third tenure owes his popularity mainly to infrastructural development the state has witnessed during his nearly 8-year tenure. The state witnessed 138% increase in the National Highway network and significant improvement in human development index.

The electorate in the two states have proved themselves to be pro-incumbency. The significance of the victory of reigning parties also gets enhanced as they border autocratic China.