SKM unchallenged in 2029, says Golay

BIJOY GURUNG

‘SDF WIPED OUT IN ‘FINAL BATTLE’, CAP’S REFORM CALL REJECTED BY SIKKIM IN 2024’
GANGTOK,: Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay on Wednesday asserted that the ruling SKM faces no political contest in the 2029 elections, citing the SDF complete wipeout after branding the 2024 polls as its “final battle” and the rejection of CAP Sikkim’s reformist pitch, with its president losing in two constituencies.
Golay, who is also the SKM president, announced that the party’s Mission 2029 is to not only sweep all the 32 Assembly seats and the lone Lok Sabha seat, but also secure victories in all the 573 polling booths across the State. He directed party workers to stay constantly connected with every household and village to ensure booth-level success.
“Our Mission 2029 is to build a Suanulo, Samriddha ani Samartha Sikkim. We aim to win all the 32 Assembly seats, the Lok Sabha seat, and all the 573 booths. Our party workers and functionaries must remain connected with every house and village, and serve the poor,” Golay said while addressing the 14th SKM foundation day celebration at Rangpo ground.
Expressing confidence that the party would achieve its Mission 2029, the Chief Minister said the ruling front no longer faces any meaningful political competition, either from the SDF or CAP Sikkim. 
Without naming individuals, Golay recalled that the SDF had fought the 2024 elections as its “final battle” but failed miserably and is now “on a ventilator”. He also said that CAP Sikkim’s so-called reformist politics were rejected by the electorate, noting that the party’s leader lost in two constituencies in the last Assembly elections.
The people of Sikkim have already told him not to take the trouble of trying again, the Chief Minister said.
The SKM, which currently commands all the 32 Assembly seats, was further strengthened on Wednesday with the joining of several prominent leaders and front-rankers from opposition parties, including former ministers and ex-MLAs of the SDF, and senior executives and past candidates of CAP Sikkim. They were formally welcomed into the party by Golay during the foundation day celebrations.
“Who is left as our competitor now? No one. The party that campaigned the 2024 election as its ‘final battle’ is no longer there. The reform caller has also become toothless,” he said.
Golay added that the only competition now lies within the SKM itself and urged party workers to further strengthen the organisation. We must make the SKM the longest-serving government in India and create this record, he said.
In his address, the Chief Minister was critical of CAP Sikkim president Ganesh Rai’s controversial alleged statement of asking students to drop out for one year in 2028 and support the CAP Sikkim party for the 2029 elections.
“We had our lengthy struggles as an opposition but never asked students to drop their studies for one year and to support us for coming to power. We never said students should give up their school for one year, rather we wanted them to do well in studies. But he wants poor students to drop out from schools for one year and to support him to become the Chief Minister. He does not know the value of one year for a student coming from a poor family,” said Golay.
Golay, without naming Ganesh Rai, asked the CAP Sikkim president to tell his own children to drop out from school for one year if he really means his talks about reforms. He maintained that the CAP Sikkim president is resorting to mindless statements and propaganda politics due to frustration and now, depression.
The Chief Minister asked Rai where his ‘reformist talks’ were when he was enjoying the perks and power of SDF government for 25 years till 2019. 
“He was in the party (SDF) till the government was there. Where he was when there was all-round oppression in Sikkim under the SDF government? That time he was busy shouting that Pawan Chamling has no alternative,” add the Chief Minister.

27, 860 adhoc workers to be regularized in 2028

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay on Wednesday said the adhoc workers, employed after 2024, would be regularized by the State government in 2028.
Around 27,860 persons were employed as casual workers after 2024.
We will regularize them in 2028 under the four-year regularisation policy, said the Chief Minister at Rangpo during the SKM foundation day event. He informed that the SKM government regularized the services of more than 30,000 adhoc employees last year.