LS polls: Candidates in Sikkim not resorting to huge rallies

With a little over 370,000 voters in the small Himalayan state of Sikkim, candidates for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state are not resorting to huge political rallies and are instead wooing voters personally by visiting their houses.

Candidates say it is a small state and together with party workers and they are having door-to-door meetings to give a personal touch to campaigning. Hardly any party is holding political rallies or large election meetings in Gangtok.

Occasionally, one can find small stickers pasted on walls seeking votes. "All our candidates are meeting voters on a one-to-one basis in their houses. It is a small place and we are trying to cover as many houses as possible in our meetings. It does take time but this is the most effective way of campaigning," Sikkim Krantikari Morcha's (SKM) General Secretary Jacob Khaling told in Gangtok.

The border state goes to polls on April 12 for 32 assembly constituencies and the lone Lok Sabha seat. The ruling party Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which has all the 32 MLAs in the outgoing assembly, is also doing door-to-door meetings in a similar way.

"In certain areas where the voters are very large or the candidate has little time, we have group meetings with voters to explain our agenda and the good work our government has done," SDF's vice president K B Chamling said. He said candidates are mostly walking on foot during campaigning.

With such low key political campaigning, tourists visiting this hill station do not even realise that the state is going to vote for a new Assembly. Large election rallies are being held only for heavyweights like Chief Minister Pawan Chamling or SKM supremo P S Goley.

Party workers are also distributing pamphlets seeking votes for their respective party candidates. State election commission officials said they are keeping a close watch on campaigning and so far no party or candidate has been found guilty of violating the model code of conduct.

Besides SDF and SKM, Congress is the only party contesting all 32 assembly seats. BJP has put up candidates in 13 constituencies while Trinamool Congress fielded nominees in seven seats.

For the lone Lok Sabha seat, sitting MP Prem Das Rai of SDF is pitted against nominees from SKM, BJP, Congress, Trinamool and Aam Admi Party.