BJP names Dorjee Tshering Lepcha as candidate for Rajya Sabha election in Sikkim

Gangtok: The BJP on Sunday named MLA Dorjee Tshering Lepcha as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election in Sikkim.

In a statement, BJP's national general secretary Arun Singh said the central election committee of the party has approved the name of Lepcha for the January 19 election.

Lepcha is at present the MLA of the Gnathang Machong seat in the Pakyong district.

He was a two-time minister in the previous SDF government and joined the BJP along with nine other party MLAs after the 2019 assembly elections, in which the SKM came to power.

As a minister, he held portfolios such as Buildings & Housing and Transport.

The lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state is at present held by Hishey Lachungpa of the opposition SDF. His tenure ends on February 23.

In the 32-member Sikkim assembly, SKM has 19 members, BJP has 12 and the SDF has one member. The SKM and the SDF are yet to announce their candidates for the election.

The SKM is a part of the BJP-led NDA, but the two parties do not work together in the state.