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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1953 Sikkimese general election
| country = Kingdom of Sikkim
| type = legislative
| next_election = 1958 Sikkimese general election
| next_year = 1958
| election_date = mid-1953
| seats_for_election = 12 seats in the [[State Council (Sikkim)|Sikkim State Council]]
| party1 = Sikkim National Party
| seats1 = 6
| party2 = Sikkim State Congress
| seats2 = 6
}}

'''General elections''' were held in [[Sikkim]] in mid-1953.<ref name=HB>Hamlet Bareh (2001) ''Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim'' Mittal Publications, p17</ref> The [[Sikkim National Party]] and the [[Sikkim State Congress]] both won six seats.<ref name=HB/> Voter turnout was less than 30%.<ref name=HB/>

==Electoral system==
The State Council was established in 1953 by the [[Chogyal]].<ref name=HB2>Bareh, p16</ref> It had 18 members, of which 12 were elected and six (including the President) appointed by the Chogyal.<ref name=HB2/> Of the 12 elected members, six were for the [[Nepali Indian|Nepali community]] and six for the [[Lepcha people|Lepcha]] and the [[Bhutia]] communities.<ref name=HB2/>

Candidates for election to the Council had to be at least 30 years old, whilst the voting age was set at 21.<ref name=HB/> Around 50,000 voters registered for the election.<ref name=HB/>

==Results==
{{Election results
|seattype1=Bhutia-Lepcha|seattype2=Nepali|seattype3=Total
|party1=[[Sikkim National Party]]|votes1=|st1t1=6|st2t1=0|st3t1=6
|party2=[[Sikkim State Congress]]|votes2=|st1t2=0|st2t2=6|st3t2=6
|row3=Appointed members|st1t3=–|st2t3=–|st3t3=6
|total_st1t=6|total_st2t=6|total_st3t=18
|source=Hamlet Bareh
}}

===Constituency-wise===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Constituency
!Reservation
!Name
!colspan=2|Party
|-
|1
|rowspan=3 |North-Central
|rowspan=2 | [[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Sonam Tshering Lepcha
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|2
|Martam Topden
|-
|3
|[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Khus Narain Pradhan
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|4
|rowspan=3 |Gangtok
|rowspan=2 | [[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Chodup Lepcha
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|5
|Netuk Bhutia
|-
|6
|[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Adhiklal Pradhan
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|7
|rowspan=3 |Namchi
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Kunzang Rapgay
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|8
|rowspan=2 | [[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|[[Kashiraj Pradhan|Kashi Raj Pradhan]]
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|9
|Jai Narayan Subba
|-
|10
|rowspan=3 |Pemayangtse
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Sonam Wangchuk
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|11
|rowspan=2 | [[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Dhan Bahadur Gurung
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|12
|Nakhul Pradhan
|- class="sortbottom"
|colspan=6 |Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette<ref name=sdg1953>{{cite journal |journal=Sikkim Darbar Gazette |volume=2 |number=12 |title=Results of elections - 1953 |date=12 May 1953 }}</ref><ref name=TenzingThesis>{{cite thesis |url=http://dspace.cus.ac.in/jspui/handle/1/6961 |title=Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 |date=July 2019 |author=Pem Choden Tenzing |access-date= 17 June 2021 |pages=147}}</ref>
|}

===Appointed members===
In addition to the elected members, five members were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the [[Chogyal]]; John S. Lal (President of the Council and Dewan of Sikkim), Rai Bahadur Densapa, Tekbir Khati, Palda Lama and Hon Lt Prem Bahadur Basnet.<ref name=sdg1953/><ref name=TenzingThesis/>

==Executive Council==
Following the elections, an Executive Council was appointed, which consisted of the President of the Council, John S. Lal and two of the elected members, Sonam Tsering and [[Kashiraj Pradhan]].

{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Responsibilities
|-
|John S. Lal
|President of the Executive Council
|-
|Kashiraj Pradhan
|Public Works, Excise, Education, and Transport
|-
|Sonam Tsering
|Bazars, Forests, Health, and Press & publicity
|-class="sortbottom"
|colspan=2|Source: Proclamations from the Chogyal and the Dewan<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-48 |pages=25, 28 |title=State Council and Executive Council Proclamation - Memo No. 525 |date=4 August 1953 |author=Tashi Namgyal |access-date= 22 June 2021}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Sikkimese elections}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Elections in Sikkim, 1950s in Sikkim, Election and referendum articles with incomplete results
|description=
}}

[[Category:Elections in Sikkim]]
[[Category:1953 elections in Asia|Sikkim]]
[[Category:1950s in Sikkim]]
[[Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results]]

1953 Sikkimese general election - Revision history

MetaBOT at 14:12, 8 July 2023