Ex-CM launches 'Save Sikkim' election campaign

Gangtok, Nov 28 (IANS) Five-term former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on Monday launched a 'Save Sikkim' election campaign asserting that the present Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government has failed on every front.

"The special Constitutional provisions for Sikkim and the Sikkimese under Article 371F are being removed one by one by the SKM government. Article 371F protects Sikkim and the Sikkimese but the present government is working to violate these special Constitutional safeguards for Sikkim," Chamling told the media.

Also President of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), the former Chief Minister launched the campaign from Rongli bazaar, about 65 km away from the state capital Gangtok.

Chamling was the Chief Ministerfor five consecutive terms but lost the 2019 Assembly elections to the SKM.

He is presently the lone opposition MLA in the 32-seat Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

He had maintained that Sikkim is presently under a "jungle raj".

"The present SKM government is doing a jungle raj. It has failed miserably in every front and has not fulfilled even one per cent of its 2019 election promises. On the request of the people of Sikkim, the SDF has come forward with this ?Save Sikkim' campaign", he said.

Chamling said the ?Save Sikkim' campaign is for 50 days of the SDF during which he will reach out to every corner of Sikkim to meet the people.

"This can be taken as my election campaign as the next Assembly election is about 15-16 months away. The next Assembly election may happen six months earlier also. Hence, this campaign is also my election campaign," he said.