Sikkim CM gets breather from EC, can contest polls

Update: 2010-09-15 00:00 GMT

GANGTOK, Sept 29 - The Election Commission of India on Sunday gave a breather to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), reducing his disqualification period, thus allowing him to contest the bye-elections.

Tamang can now contest from the sole general seat of Poklok Kamrang, out of the three seats in the bypolls.

Tamang had served a year jail sentence from 2017 to 2018 on corruption charges after being pronounced guilty in a cow distribution case. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 a convicted person cannot contest elections for a period of six years.

On Saturday, the BJP and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) announced an alliance for the bypolls � with the BJP contesting on two seats of Gangtok and Martam-Rumtek (both for the indigenous Bhutia Lepcha community).

After overthrowing the 25-year-old Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government led by Pawan Kumar Chamling in the recent assembly polls, with 17 seats in the 32-member Assembly, Golay was elected as the legislature party leader of the SKM, without being a member of the Assembly.

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