Gangtok: Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) today stormed to power for the record fifth consecutive term in the state, winning 22 seats in the 32-member state Assembly and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling romping home with a two-third majority.
Chamling, who retained his home seat Namchi-Singhithang defeating his nearest rival Milan Rai of SKM by a comfortable margin of 1,084 votes, is now on his way to break the record of late Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu who was longest serving Chief Minister of West Bengal for 23 years non-stop.
Chamling, who was in power for an uninterrupted 20 years, also contested from the Rangang-Yangang seat and won the seat by 3,142 votes.
There was no opposition in the last term of the state Assembly as SDF had won all the seats.
But this time, the opposition space would be occupied by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), which broke away from the SDF and has won nine seats.
