BJP opens office in Sikkim; membership campaign underway... SKM, other leaders interested to join BJP: Rawat

EOI, Gangtok, 3 Nov 2014: The Sikkim  state unit of the BJP on Monday inaugurated a new party office in Gangtok at Tadong. The office was opened by the party’s Sikkim state in-charge Panchanan Rawat in the presence of state BJP president Palden Bhaichung Khangsherpa, senior leader Harayram Pradhan, SKM MLA Dr. Mechung Bhutia, Sangh MLA Sonam Lama and MLA Ugen Nedup Bhutia along with party supporters.

The BJP has also launched a membership campaign in the state. Khangsherpa was the first person from the state to register his name under the campaign. Addressing the gathering, Rawat spread light on the membership campaign and called on party supporters to actively participate in it.

He said the campaign will run till March 31, 2015. “The campaign will be headed by HB Karki, while BT Lepcha will be the assistant head. We have a target of roping in 25,000 members by the end of the campaign,” he said. He said the BJP currently has around 5,000 registered supporters in the state, while about 150 are active working members.

Rawat claimed many leaders from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha and other parties have expressed interest in joining the national party. “I will not be able to disclose the names now, but it will soon be out in public,” he said. Stating the party is still deciding on the upcoming municipal elections, Rawat said the SKM-BJP alliance is still intact and going strong. “I have learned there are many leaders from a number of parties in the state who are interested to join us. Our doors are always open for them. But, there will be strict scrutiny on their social status before we can accept them,” the state BJP in-charge added.

Although no concrete information could be established on who the interested leaders were, one can be rest assured that the Modi wave has entered Sikkim and could sweep it over in the near future. The BJP-SKM alliance came into existence during the much hyped by-elections in Rangrang-Yangyang constituency recently and despite the alliance candidate’s defeat, the BJP was able to make its presence felt in the state, which has otherwise been a stronghold of regional parties. Political watchdogs believe the municipality elections next year could be a platform for the BJP to make further inroads into the state, but it remains to be seen what the party brass decides. The BJP could field its own candidates, but it also has the option to run in the election under the SKM alliance.