Chamling hits the campaign trail

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, 17 Mar 2019, Gangtok: Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling kickstarted the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front's (SDF) campaign for the April 11 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections from Lall Bazar in Gangtok on Saturday, seeking to win a record sixth term in office.

A huge crowd of SDF supporters had gathered in front of the Denzong Cinema early in the morning and when Chamling, who is also the SDF president, reached the there around 8 am, they greeted him with roars of approval and showered petals on him.

Chamling released a bunch of balloons in the party colours of blue, yellow and red and a couple of pigeons to signal the start of the election campaign.

"In 25 years, our SDF government has turned Sikkim into the country's most peaceful and developed state. Now we must make Sikkim into the world's most beautiful, peaceful and developed state," he said in his short speech to thunderous round of applause by the crowd.

Obviously aware of the fact that the vast majority of the state's 4,23,167 voters are in the age group of 18-45, the SDF president positioned his party as being that of the youths.

"If the SDF wins, it will be the victory of the youths of Sikkim because the party is youth-centric … If it wins, the future of the youths will be safe," he said.

Addressing the larger audience, Chamling urged them to help his party to prepare the agenda for the next government. "My friends from the SDF family will come to your doorsteps and sit with you all to prepare the agenda of the next SDF government. The agenda set by you will be implemented within 100 days of the SDF government coming to power," Chamling added.

From Lall Bazar, Chamling, who became the longest serving chief minister of the country in April last year, boarded a Savari, a multi-utili- ty vehicle commonly used as share taxi, en route his home constituency of Namchi in South Sikkim. He was accompanied by his youngest daughter Komal.

All along the road to Namchi, the SDF's cavalcade was stopped at many places and he addressed street corner meetings at some of them. Chamling will be in Namchi for the next few days where he is expected to file his nomination papers on Tuesday. He will also file papers from the neighbouring Poklok-Kamrang, the second constituency from where he will be contesting this time.

The SDF had released the names of 16 other candidates in its first list on Friday. Ten out of them are new faces.

Asked about the second list, Chamling said it will be announced before April 25. The strength of the Sikkim Assembly is 32-seat strong.

Sikkim's main opposition party, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, which is yet to announce its candidates, mocked at Chamling for taking the Savari in an obvious attempt to establish his connect with the common man. "Chamling enacted a farce early today by travelling in a Savari...we urge the people to enjoy his drama, but don't vote for him," said Jacob Khaling, the SKM spokesman..