Gangtok, Aug 30: In a major political announcement, Gangtok’s BJP MLA T Lepcha has claimed that the saffron party “will not be able to secure even 500 votes” if it contests the poll alone.

Talking to reporters, Lepcha said, “The BJP’s chances of winning any seat in the assembly polls in Sikkim due in 2024 are minimal without a tie-up with the SKM”.

The major political parties in Sikkim have geared up for the assembly polls and are building up strategies to win the upcoming polls.

Lepcha stated that the party was not satisfied with alliance partner Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), headed by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, popularly known as P S Golay, and may consider fighting the assembly polls alone.

“The BJP has not won even a panchayat seat on its own. We won two assembly bypolls in alliance with the SKM,” Lepcha said, pointing to his own victory from Gangtok and that of S. T. Venchungpa from Martam Rumtek.

On the other hand, some local political activists are accusing the BJP of being an anti-Sikkimese party by claiming that the constitutional provisions protecting the old laws of Sikkim are being diluted by the ruling party at the Centre.

The BJP has 12 MLAs, ten of whom defected from the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in 2019, while two others were elected on the party symbol in assembly polls held the same year.

While talking to media persons, BJP spokesperson Kamal Adhikari said the views expressed by Lepcha were his personal opinion.

“We will contest all the 32 assembly seats in Sikkim on our own as there has been no deliberation between the two parties on any alliance so far,” Adhikari stated.

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