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Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) candidate for Soreng-Chakung constituency, former MLA Aditya Golay, also known as Aditya Tamang on Tuesday won 'uncontested' in the by-elections held in state.
The Soreng-Chakung constituency was vacated and was set for elections on November 13. However, with the rejection of nomination of Citizen Action Party candidate Pobin Hang Subba on Monday and then followed by the withdrawal of Sikkim Democratic Front candidate Prem Bahadur Bhandari on Tuesday, Aditya Golay won uncontested. After hearing the news of SDF candidate's withdrawal, Aditya Golay spoke with the media from his residence in Soreng. He stated, "The SKM party workers were quite confident that I would go uncontested, that we might not have to go through the electoral process, but I was more on the side of contesting the elections. As in the general elections we had secured 10,480 votes for our party president Prem Singh Golay, we were quite confident we would break that record. It is quite unfortunate we were unable to break that record. In the future, even if I am not contesting, we will ensure the next candidate breaks that record". On the withdrawal of SDF candidate, Golay opined, "As soon as I heard that SDF candidate Prem Bahadur Bhandari withdrew his candidature, I believe that it is individual stand and opinion, as he is also from the same village and constituency. I think he wants to come with us, he wants to join our programmes and policies for the development of Soreng Chakung in the near future". Aditya Golay also responded on the allegations of Citizen Action Party (CAP) Pobin Hang Subba that proposers and supporters of CAP candidate were 'kidnapped by SKM'. "They are expelled and dismissed on technical grounds, that you get more information from the Returning Officer, all the details are with him and he should make it public through media. I don't see any grounds on why they (CAP) are alleging us so much or the Returning Officer so much, because all the dismissals and cancellations are made on facts. The election commission, they are an independent body, all the things that have transpired till now, were made on factual grounds. If they want to take the matter to the court, they are most welcomed to. They are political party in the opposition, they can say whatever they want, but we will have to rely on facts and figures", he said. Aditya said that his focus will now be on youth development, "We will have to grow with the youth, because the demand we have right now will not be the same in the next 15 to 10 years. So we will have to engage with the youth, what their demands are, we will have to work on their demands. So actively I want to work with the students and the youth in the coming days". The SKM party, led by CM Golay, was confident of winning all 32 assembly seats in the 2024 general election. They managed to secure 31 seats, and with Aditya winning uncontested, their tally remains at 31. The only constituency still up for grabs is Namchi Singhithang, where SKM's Satish Chandra Rai is competing against SDF's Daniel Rai. However, CAP Sikkim's candidate, Mahesh Rai, had his nomination rejected on Monday, paving the way for a direct contest between SKM and SDF. (ANI)
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