General elections were held in Sikkim in May 1953.[2] The Sikkim National Party and the Sikkim State Congress both won six seats.[2] Voter turnout was less than 30%.[2]
 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
12 of the 18 seats in the State Council | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
Electoral system
editThe State Council was established in 1953 by the Chogyal.[3] It had 18 members, of which 12 were elected and six (including the President) appointed by the Chogyal.[3] Of the 12 elected members, six were for the Nepali community and six for the Lepcha and the Bhutia communities.[3]
Candidates for election to the Council had to be at least 30 years old, whilst the voting age was set at 21.[2] Around 50,000 voters registered for the election.[2]
Results
edit| Party | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutia-Lepcha | Nepali | Total | ||||
| Sikkim National Party | 6 | 0 | 6 | |||
| Sikkim State Congress | 0 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Appointed members | – | – | 6 | |||
| Total | 6 | 6 | 18 | |||
| Source: Hamlet Bareh | ||||||
Constituency-wise
edit| # | 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 | Nahakul Pradhan | ||||
| Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette[4][5] | |||||
Appointed members
editIn 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.[4][5]
Executive Council
editFollowing 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[6] | |
References
edit- ^ "Election to Sikkim State Council". The Indian Express. 2 June 1953. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
...the election which concluded on 23 May after 55 days of polling.
- ^ a b c d e Hamlet Bareh (2001) Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim Mittal Publications, p17
- ^ a b c Bareh, p16
- ^ a b "Results of elections - 1953". Sikkim Darbar Gazette. 2 (12). 12 May 1953.
- ^ a b Pem Choden Tenzing (July 2019). Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 (Thesis). p. 147. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ^ Tashi Namgyal (4 August 1953). "State Council and Executive Council Proclamation - Memo No. 525". pp. 25, 28. Retrieved 22 June 2021.