SKM's pullout from alliance betrayal: BJP

TT, 18 March 2019,  Gangtok: The BJP on Sunday accused the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha of betrayal for walking out of a purported alliance between the two parties and said it would contest Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state on its own.

Addressing a press conference here, the Sikkim unit president of the BJP, D. B. Chauhan, said it was SKM leaders who had met BJP national president Amit Shah and general secretary Ram Madhav in New Delhi and agreed on a tieup.

"The SKM leadership had agreed on an alliance in Delhi and once they returned here, went back on their words. This is betrayal," he alleged.

Chauhan said the SKM didn't put up a written proposal on its eight-point demand and neither gave the BJP the time to work on it. "In Delhi, the SKM did speak about some Sikim-centric issues to which the BJP high command gave its consent. However, it didn't submit its eight-point demand in writing," he said.

The SKM had said on Saturday that it would not have Chauhan (centre) speaks to the media in Gangtok on Sunday an alliance with the BJP in deference to wishes of the people of Sikkim.

The BJP, Chauhan said, had agreed on the alliance in order to create a strong opposition to the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). "The people of Sikkim had wanted a united opposition to bring about a change in the state. The SKM has, however, chosen not to heed the call. Maybe, it did so under someone's pressure," he added, without specifying who could have been that.

Chauhan said the BJP would fight the elections in the state on its own because of the constraints of time. "I don't think we have the time to work out an alliance with any other party now. We will fight the elections on our own. We may not field candidates in all seats, but will definitely be contesting in some of them," he said.

More candidates The SKM and Bhaichung Bhutia's Hamro Sikkim Party on Sunday announced their first and second lists of candidates, respectively. While the SKM named its candidates for nine out of the 32 seats, the HSP released the names of four more candidates.

The SKM has two MLAs in the outgoing Assembly and both will be fielded again from their respective seats. While Kunga Nima Lepcha will contest from Shyari, Sonam Lama will fight from the lone Sangha seat, which is elected by a body of monks.