10 MLAs of Sikkim Democratic Front join BJP

As many as 10 MLAs of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The SDF members joined the BJP in the presence of party’s working president JP Nadda and general secretary Ram Madhav.

The development comes as a boost for the BJP while it is a big setback for former Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. The induction of the MLAs in the BJP leaves just five lawmakers, including Chamling, in the SDF.

10 MLAs of Sikkim Democratic Front join BJP in the presence of Shri @rammadhavbjp at BJP HQ. #BJPMembership pic.twitter.com/yVcF84qOOg — BJP (@BJP4India) August 13, 2019

The event for their induction in the BJP fold was held at the party headquarters in the national capital.

This is the first time that the BJP has gained a presence on its own in the Himalayan state. Currently, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), which is a constituent of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), is in power in Sikkim.

In the previous Assembly elections in the state, the SKM had won 17 out of the 32 Assembly seats, thereby snatching power from the SDF, which bagged 15 seats.