Gangtok, February 25: The State Election Commission in Sikkim Thursday announced that elections to 51 municipal wards and nagar panchayats, will be held on March 31. The P S Tamang-headed Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government amended the Sikkim Municipalities Act, 2007 in September last which does not allow any person to contest polls with the direct or indirect support of any political party.

The state's Election Commissioner Nim Lhamu Ethenpa said, the last date for filing nominations is March 8, scrutiny of documents will take place on March 9 and the last date for withdrawal of the nominations is March 13.

Polls will be held for 19 wards in Gangtok Municipal Corporation, 5 in Singtam nagar panchayat, 5 in Jorethang nagar panchayat, 5 in Rangpo nagar panchayat, 7 in Namchi nagar panchayat, 5 in Geyzing nagar panchayat and 5 in Mangan nagar panchayat. Counting of votes will be taken up on April 3. Last time, the Himalayan state went to the municipal polls was in 2015 while the panchayat polls were held in 2017. West Bengal Assembly Election Results From 1952 to 2016: From Congress to Left And TMC, The Rise And Fall of Political Parties in The State Over The Years.

The tenure of municipal bodies in Sikkim had ended on October 16, 2020, but the election was delayed due to the pandemic. The state government had appointed administrators for all urban bodies to look after day-to-day functioning during the interim period.

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