ErnestLithgow16 at 00:58, 15 December 2025

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{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1958 Sikkimese general election
| country = Kingdom of Sikkim
| type = legislative
| previous_election = 1953 Sikkimese general election
| previous_year = 1953
| next_election = 1967 Sikkimese general election
| next_year = 1967
| election_date = 1958
| seats_for_election = 14 of the 20 seats in the [[State Council (Sikkim)|State Council]]

| party1 = Sikkim State Congress
| last_election1 = 6
| seats1 = 7
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 1

| party2 = Sikkim National Party
| last_election2 = 6
| seats2 = 6
| seat_change2 = {{steady}}

| party3 = [[Independent politician|IND]]
| last_election3 = 0
| seats3 = 1
| seat_change3 = {{increase}} 1
}}

'''General elections''' were held in [[Kingdom of Sikkim|Sikkim]] in 1958 to elect members of the [[State Council (Sikkim)|State Council]].<ref name=HB>Hamlet Bareh (2001) ''Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim'' Mittal Publications, p17</ref> The [[Sikkim State Congress]] emerged as the largest party, winning seven of the 14 elected seats.<ref name=HB/> Voter turnout was around 35%.<ref name=HB/>

==Electoral system==
The [[State Council (Sikkim)|State Council]] was established in 1953 by the [[Chogyal]].<ref name=HB2>Bareh, p16</ref> It originally 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/> For the 1958 elections the number of seats was increased to 20. One seat for the [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]] was added, together with an unreserved seat.<ref name=HB2/><ref name="NamgyalProclamation">{{cite web |url=http://districtcourtsnamchi.nic.in/laws/oldsikkim/sikkimcodevol5.pdf |title=Proclamation of His Highness Sir Tashi Namgyal, KCSI, KCIE, Maharaja of Sikkim, Dated the 16th March, 1958 |date=16 March 1958 |page=102 |author=Tashi Namgyal |access-date= 16 June 2021}}</ref>

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 55,000 voters registered for the election.<ref name=HB/>

==Results==
{{Election results
|seattype1=Bhutia-Lepcha|seattype2=Nepali|seattype3=Others|seattype4=Total|seattype5=+/–
|party1=[[Sikkim State Congress]]|votes1=|st1t1=1|st2t1=6|st3t1=0|st4t1=7|st5t1=+1
|party2=[[Sikkim National Party]]|votes2=|st1t2=5|st2t2=0|st3t2=1|st4t2=6|st5t2=0
|party3=Independent|votes3=|st1t3=0|st2t3=0|st3t3=1|st4t3=1|st5t3=+1
|row4=Appointed members|st1t4=–|st2t4=–|st3t4=–|st4t4=6|st5t4=0
|total_st1t=6|total_st2t=6|total_st3t=2|total_st4t=20|total_st5t=+2
|source=Hamlet Bareh
}}

===Constituency-wise===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Constituency
!Reservation
!Name
!colspan=2|Party
|-
|1
|rowspan=3 |Gangtok
|rowspan=2 | [[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Sonam Tshering Lepcha
|
|
|-
|2
|Kesang Wangdi
|
|
|-
|3
|[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Narendra Nar Singh
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|4
|rowspan=3 |North-Central
|rowspan=2 | [[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Martam Topden
|
|
|-
|5
|Thendup Bhutia
|
|
|-
|6
|[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|[[Nahakul Pradhan]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|7
|rowspan=3 |Namchi
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Kazi Norbu Wangdi
|
|
|-
|8
|rowspan=2 | [[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Sangkhaman Rai
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|9
|[[Kashiraj Pradhan|Kashi Raj Pradhan]]
|-
|10
|rowspan=3 |Pemayangtse
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Gaden Tashi
|
|
|-
|11
|rowspan=2 | [[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Sher Bahadur Gurung
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"|
|rowspan=2 | [[Sikkim State Congress]]
|-
|12
|Bhujit Mukhia
|-
|13
|rowspan=2|[[At-large|General]]
|[[General]]
|Chaksung Bhutia
|
|
|-
|14
|[[Sangha (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sangha]]
|Lharipa Rinzing Lama
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|- class="sortbottom"
|colspan=6 |Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette<ref name=sdg1958>{{cite journal |journal=Sikkim Darbar Gazette |volume=8 |number=7 |title=Results of elections - 1958 |date=December 1958 }}</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=149}}</ref>
|}

===Appointed members===
In addition to the elected members, six others were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the [[Chogyal]], on 15 March; Rai Bahadur Densapa, Rev. Chotuk Tsering Pazo, Indra Prasad Subba, Bhairap Bahadur Lamchaney, Atal Singh Dewan and Hon Lt Prem Bahadur Basnet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-34 |title=Nominations to State Council |page=54 |date=22 February 1959 |author=Tashi Namgyal |access-date= 17 June 2021}}</ref>

==Executive Council==
The Executive Council was chosen from among the elected members, in addition to the Dewan of Sikkim, who was its President:
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Name
!Responsibility
|-
|N. K. Rustomji
|President
|-
|[[Kashiraj Pradhan|K. R. Pradhan]]
|Senior Executive Councillor
|-
|Martam Topden
|Executive Councillor
|-
|[[Nahakul Pradhan]]
|Deputy Executive Councillor
|-
|Norbu Wangdi
|Deputy Executive Councillor
|-
|Chuksung Bhutia
|Deputy Executive Councillor
|-class="sortbottom"
|colspan=2|Source: Proceedings of the Executive Council<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-58 |page=94 |title=Proceedings of the Executive Council - 7th April, 1959 |date=7 April 1959 |author=N. K. Rustomji |access-date= 22 June 2021}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Sikkimese elections}}

[[Category:Elections in Sikkim]]
[[Category:1958 elections in Asia|Sikkim]]
[[Category:1950s in Sikkim]]
[[Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results]]

1958 Sikkimese general election - Revision history

ErnestLithgow16 at 00:58, 15 December 2025