Gangtok: With the nomination process concluding on Monday for the Sikkim Municipal Elections 2026, electoral contests are expected to be limited to candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and independents in around 10 wards across urban bodies in the state.
State BJP is the only political party that has fielded candidates with the other opposition parties SDF and CAP Sikkim having already announced to boycott the upcoming civic body polls citing reservation issue and party basis elections as concern.
In Gangtok Municipal Corporation, the State BJP fielded Srijana Chettri from Diesel Power House ward and Pempo Dorjee Lepcha from Tadong ward. One independent candidate each has also submitted nomination for Diesel Power House and Arithang-1 ward.
In Singtam Nagar Panchayat, BJP candidate Rajani Singh Cintury filed her nomination from Pipal ward while BJP candidate Bhopal Baraily submitted nomination for Mandi Bazaar of Rangpo Nagar Panchayat, said the State BJP.
The BJP candidate for Upper Ghurpisey ward under Namchi Municipal Council is Sangay Bhutia while BJP candidate Naren Subba filed from the Dara Bazar ward under Soreng Nagar Panchayat.
One independent candidate each has filed nomination in before the respective Returning Officers of Namchi and Pakyong districts while there are four independent candidates in Gyalshing.
“BJP Sikkim extends its warm congratulations and best wishes to all the candidates for the upcoming municipal elections. The party expresses full confidence in their victory and urges all party workers and supporters to work tirelessly for their success,” said the State BJP in a press statement.
There are 63 wards in the nine urban local bodies of Sikkim – Gangtok Municipal Corporation (21), Namchi Municipal Council (7), and five wards in the Nagar Panchayats of Singtam, Rangpo, Mangan, Nayabazar-Jorethang, Soreng, Pakyong and Gyalshing.
The SKM candidates have already submitted their nominations in all these 63 wards and appeared to sweep the civic polls entirely before the State BJP entered the electoral contest on the final day of nominations with six candidates. Nominations were also made by independent candidates in few wards of urban local bodies.
The nomination process concluded today and scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on April 1, 2026. Candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations until April 4.
The polling is scheduled to be held on Friday.
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