Gangtok: Tenzing Norbu Lamtha, the lone legislator of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) from the Syari constituency, has officially joined the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party on Wednesday.
Lamtha was welcomed by Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay at his official residence, Mintokgang, on July 10. With his inclusion, the SKM now holds all 32 seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, having previously secured 31 seats earlier this year.
CM Golay shared the news on social media, stating, “Having left the SDF Party, he (Lamtha) has officially joined our SKM family as the sole MLA of the SDF Party. During our discussion, he raised several commendable concerns related to the welfare of his constituency”.
The Chief Minister further added, “I also welcome his proposals to work collaboratively for the benefit of the entire Syari Constituency, aiming for the comprehensive development of the area and its people”.
Lamtha had been a member of the SKM party from 2019 to 2024 but made a brief exit during the elections when he was denied a ticket for the Syari constituency in favor of incumbent legislator Kunga Nima Lepcha. Subsequently, Lamtha joined the SDF, which provided him with a ticket for the Syari constituency.
He secured 6,633 votes, winning by a margin of 1,314 votes against SKM’s Kunga Nima Lepcha, who received 5,319 votes. Notably, Lamtha had the highest vote count among all SDF candidates, surpassing even SDF supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling, who contested in two constituencies.
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