Prem Singh Tamang
Tamang in 2019
6th Chief Minister of Sikkim
Assumed office
27 May 2019
GovernorGanga Prasad
Lakshman Acharya
Preceded byPawan Kumar Chamling
Member of Vidhan Sabha, Sikkim
Assumed office
2019
Preceded byPawan Chamling
ConstituencyPoklok-Kamrang
In office
2009–2019
ConstituencyUpper Burtuk
In office
1994–2009
ConstituencyChakung
Leader of the House of Sikkim Legislative Assembly
Personal details
Born (1968-02-05) 5 February 1968 (age 56)
NationalityIndian
Political partySikkim Krantikari Morcha
Other political
affiliations		National Democratic Alliance
Sikkim Democratic Front (till 2013)
SpouseKrishna Rai
Children2, including Aditya Tamang
Residence(s)Singling, Sikkim, India[1]
Alma materDarjeeling Government College (BA, 1988)[1]
ProfessionSocial worker,[1] teacher
NicknameP. S. Golay

Prem Singh Tamang (born 5 February 1968), better known as P. S. Golay,[2] is an Indian politician, and former teacher who is serving as the 6th and current Chief Minister of Sikkim since 2019 and the founder and leader of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha since 2019. He represents the Poklok-Kamrang in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly since 2019, Upper Burtuk from 2009 to 2019 and Chakung from 1994 to 2009. Before forming the SKM party, he was a key member of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) Party.[2]

Personal life

Tamang was born on 5 February 1968 in the Indian Gorkha family of Kalu Singh Tamang and Dhan Maya Tamang.[2] He hails from Singling Busty, West Sikkim.[1] He graduated with a degree in Bachelors of Arts from Darjeeling Government College in 1988.[1] After graduation, he worked as a teacher in a state-run school.[2] He is married to Krishna Rai.[3] His son is politician Aditya Tamang, who is also a member of Sikkim Legislative Assembly from Soreng-Chakung.[4][5]

Political career

In 1990, he was appointed a graduate teacher under the HRD Department in the Government of Sikkim and served until 1993.

Due to his active interest in social work and politics, he resigned from government service and started participating in the political activities of SDF. As the SDF candidate in the Soreng-Chakung constituency, West Sikkim, he was elected to the Sikkim Legislative Assembly in 1994. During his affiliations with the SDF party, he served as State Youth Convenor and Vice-President.

Sikkim government career

He served in ministerial roles in the Sikkim government for three consecutive terms. From 1994 to 1999 as the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Ecclesiastical and Industry Department. From 1999 to 2004 as the Minister for Industries and Animal Husbandry. From 2004 to 2009 as the Minister for Building and Housing Department.

In 2009, after winning an election in the Burtuk Constituency, he was nominated as the Chairperson of Industries Department. However, he did not serve as chairperson. After establishment of his party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, during 2014 he was elected as MLA from Burtuk Constituency.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party

Golay became a dissident MLA of the SDF party after the Rolu Picnic event that was conducted by employees of Sikkim on 21 December 2009. The ruling party called a show-cause notice to the government workers who attended the Rolu Picnic.

Following this incident, Golay decided to found the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, which opposed the SDF, on 4 February 2013 in Soreng, West Sikkim. On 6 September 2013 he officially resigned from all SDF party duties and became the president of the SKM party. During the election of 2014, the party gained ten of thirty-two seats in the Sikkim State Legislative Assembly under the leadership of Golay. Overall, in the 2014 election, Golay's party shared 42% of total votes in Sikkim.

On 13 January 2017, he was disqualified from the Sikkim Legislative Assembly after being convicted on 28 December 2016 for misappropriating government funds while with the SDF between 1994 and 1999.[6] In 2017, he became the main opposition leader of Sikkim, serving as a president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha. During his release after conviction on 10 August 2018 witnessed massive gathering which is counted as highest ever gathering of any political event of Sikkim.

Chief Minister of Sikkim

Golay led the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha to victory in 2019 assembly elections winning 17 out of 32 seats in the legislative assembly which eventually ended the 24-year rule of the Pawan Kumar Chamling led Sikkim Democratic Front.[7] On 24 May 2019, SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling said Golay will head the government in the state however, according to constitutional experts, his conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act might be a hindrance for him becoming the Chief Minister of Sikkim.[8]

On 27 May 2019, Golay, who did not contest the legislative assembly polls, was sworn in the 6th Chief Minister of the state of Sikkim.[9][10][11] Golay won from Poklok-Kamrang in the by-election with 10,811 votes, securing 84% of the total vote share.[12]

Electoral records

Sikkim Legislative Assembly election
Year Constituency Political Party Result Position Votes % Votes % Margin Deposit Source
1994 Chakung SDF Won 1st/4 3,372 59.48 +28.33 refunded [13]
1999 Won 1st/3 3,572 57.94 +18.69 refunded [14]
2004 Won 1st/4 6,644 94.42 +91.59 refunded [15]
2009 Upper Burtuk Won 1st/6 5,908 78.63 +60.73 refunded [16]
2014 Namthang-Rateypani SKM Lost 2nd/4 4,643 43.38 -10.56 refunded [17]
2014 Upper Burtuk Won 1st/4 5,272 50.73 +5.59 refunded [17]
2019 (by-election) Poklok-Kamrang Won 1st/3 10,811 84.00 +69.56 refunded [12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Prem Singh Tamang(SKM):Constituency- UPPER BURTUK(EAST) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "PS Golay takes oath as chief minister of Sikkim". Hindustan Times. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang's wife tests positive for Covid-19". Mint. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  4. ^ "SKM ends Chamling's 25-year rule in Sikkim". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  5. ^ PTI (24 May 2019). "Sikkim Assembly Elections: SKM Ends Chamling's 25-Year Rule". The Wire. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  6. ^ "MLA disqualified from assembly: Corruption case: Convicted Sikkim MLA disqualified from assembly". The Times of India. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  7. ^ "SKM ends Chamling's 25-year rule in Sikkim". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 24 May 2019.
  8. ^ Singh, Shiv Sahay (24 May 2019). "SKM all set to take power in Sikkim". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Prem Singh Tamang Sworn In As New Sikkim Chief Minister". NDTV. Press Trust of India. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  10. ^ Singh, Shiv Sahay (27 May 2019). "P. S. Golay sworn in as Sikkim Chief Minister". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  11. ^ "P. S. Golay sworn in as Sikkim chief minister". The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Sikkim Bypoll Results : CM Prem Singh Tamang Wins from Poklok Kamrang Seat, BJP Bags Two Seats". News18. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  13. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1994 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM". ECI. 1994. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  14. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1999 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM". ECI. 1999. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  15. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2004 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM". ECI. 2004. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  16. ^ "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2009 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM". ECI. 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  17. ^ a b "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2014 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM". ECI. 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
State Legislative Assembly Preceded byPawan Kumar Chamling Member of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly from Poklok-Kamrang (Vidhan Sabha constituency) 2019– Incumbent Political offices Preceded byPawan Kumar Chamling Chief Minister of Sikkim 2019 - Present Succeeded byIncumbent
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