Gangtok: Prem Singh Golay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for a second term on Monday at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok. The Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, administered the oath to Golay and 11 members of the council of ministers.
Among the 11 ministers, four from the previous term (2019-2024) retained their positions. Arun Upreti, who previously served both as a Minister and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, took the oath as Minister again. Upreti, the general secretary of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party, contested from Arithang Constituency, winning by a margin of 2,729 votes.
Sonam Lama, representing the non-territorial religious Sangha assembly constituency, was also retained as Minister, having previously served as the Ecclesiastical and Rural Development Minister. Lama won with a margin of 865 votes.
Samdup Lepcha, from the northernmost Lachen-Mangan constituency, retained his ministerial position. He had previously served as the Minister for Roads and Bridges among other government departments and won with a margin of 851 votes. Bhim Hang Limboo from the Yangthang constituency also retained his ministerial post, winning by 2,556 votes.
Among the new ministers are three former legislators: Gay Tshering Dhungel from Upper Tadong constituency, who defected from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party in 2019 and won with a margin of 4,048 votes on an SKM ticket; Pintso Namgyal Lepcha from Dzongu constituency, who joined SKM before the 2024 elections and won with a margin of 5,007 votes; and Bhoj Raj Rai, a former legislator from 2004-09 under the SDF regime, who made a triumphant comeback by defeating Pawan Kumar Chamling in the Poklok Kamrang constituency with a margin of 3,063 votes.
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Other new ministers include Raju Basnet, a recently retired bureaucrat who defeated Chamling in the Namcheybong constituency with a margin of 2,256 votes; Nar Bahadur Dahal from Singtam Khamdong constituency, who secured his ministerial post by defeating former health minister Mani Kumar Sharma with a margin of 1,739 votes; Tshering Thendup Bhutia from Yuksom Tashiding, who won by 4,812 votes; and Puran Kumar Gurung from Chujachen constituency, who won by 3,334 votes.
Chief Minister Golay contested from both Soreng-Chakung and Rhenock constituencies, winning both seats with a margin of more than 7,000 votes.
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