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{{Short description|Election in the erstwhile Kingdom of Sikkim}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1973 Sikkimese general election
| country = Kingdom of Sikkim
| type = legislative
| previous_election = 1970 Sikkimese general election
| previous_year = 1970
| next_election = 1974 Sikkimese general election
| next_year = 1974
| election_date = 10 and 23 January 1973
| seats_for_election = 18 seats in the [[State Council (Sikkim)|Sikkim State Council]]
| party3 = Sikkim Janata Congress
| last_election3 = -
| seats3 = 2
| party1 = Sikkim National Party
| last_election1 = 8
| seats1 = 9
| party2 = Sikkim National Congress
| last_election2 = 3
| seats2 = 5
}}
'''General elections''' were held in [[Sikkim]] in January 1973.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-334 |page=3 |title=Election Department - Notification No. 3/CE |date=23 September 1972 |author=Election Committee |access-date= 3 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=HB1>Hamlet Bareh (2001) ''Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim'' Mittal Publications, p18</ref> The [[Sikkim National Party]] emerged as the largest party, winning nine of the 18 elected seats.<ref>[http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf Sikkim] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219074152/http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf |date=2014-02-19 }} Institute of Developing Economies</ref>

==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 by adding one seat for the [[Sangha (Buddhism)|Sangha]] and an additional appointed member.<ref name=HB2/> In 1966 a further four seats had been added; one each for the Nepali and Lepcha/Bhutia communities, together with one for the Tsong and a scheduled caste seat.<ref>Bareh, p17</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=HB2/>

==Election schedule==
The election schedule was announced by the Election Commission on 23 September 1972.<ref name=EAP880-1-1-334/>{{rp|3–65}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!#
!Poll Event
!Date
|-
!1
| Publication of final electoral rolls
| 24 October 1972
|-
!2
| Last Date for filing nomination
| 31 October 1972
|-
!3
| Last date for withdrawal of nominations
| 25 November 1972
|-
!rowspan=2|4
| '''Polling - Phase 1''' (West, South districts)
| '''10 January 1973'''
|-
| '''Polling - Phase 2''' (Gangtok, East, North districts)
| '''23 January 1973'''
|-
!5
| Date of Counting
| 29 January 1973
|-
!6
|Announcement of Results
| 15 February 1973
|-
|}

==Campaign==
Prior to the elections the [[Sikkim State Congress]] and the [[Sikkim Janata Party]] merged to form the [[Sikkim Janata Congress]].<ref name=HB1/>

==Results==
{{Election results
|party1=[[Sikkim National Party]]|votes1=|seats1=9|sc1=+1
|party2=[[Sikkim National Congress]]|votes2=|seats2=5|sc2=+2
|party3=[[Sikkim Janata Congress]]|votes3=|seats3=2|sc3=–
|party4=Independents|votes4=|seats4=2|sc4=–
|row5=Appointed members|seats5=6|sc5=0
|total_sc=0
|source=AC Sinha<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf |author=AC Sinha |title=Chapter 8: Sikkim |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219074152/http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf |archive-date=19 February 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

===Constituency-wise===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Constituency
!Reservation
!Name
!colspan=2|Party
|-
|1
|rowspan=3 |West
|rowspan=2 |[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Chattra Bahadur Chettri
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Congress]]
|-
|2
|Chandra Bahadur Rai
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Congress]]
|-
|3
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Thendup Tsering Bhutia
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|4
|rowspan=3 |South
|rowspan=2 |[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Durga Prasad Rai
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Congress]]
|-
|5
|Bhuwani Prasad Kharel
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim Janata Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim Janata Congress]]
|-
|6
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Khunzang Dorji
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|7
|rowspan=2 |Gangtok
|[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Ashok Tsering Bhutia
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|8
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Harka Bahadur Basnett
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|9
|rowspan=3 |East
|rowspan=2 |[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Nima Tenzing
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|10
|Kalzing Gyatso
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|11
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Bhuwani Prasad Dahal
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim Janata Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim Janata Congress]]
|-
|12
|rowspan=3 |North
|rowspan=2 |[[Nepali people|Sikkimese Nepali]]
|Netuk Lama
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|13
|Ugyen Palzor Kazi
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|14
|[[Bhutia-Lepcha]]
|Kul Bahadur Chettri
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Party]]
|-
|15
|rowspan=4 |[[At-large|General]]
|None
|[[Kazi Lhendup Dorjee]]
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Congress]]
|-
|16
|[[Scheduled Castes|SC]]
|Purna Bahadur Khati
|style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"|
|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|-
|17
|Tsong
|Krishna Bahadur Limbu
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"|
|[[Sikkim National Congress]]
|-
|18
|[[Sangha (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sangha]]
|Peyching Lama<ref name="smashAndGrab">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.131331 |title=Smash And Grab - Annexation Of Sikkim |author=Sunanda K Datta-Ray |year=1984 |quote=...they were supported by Peyching Lama, who had been elected un-contested from the monasteries... |page=166 |access-date= 15 June 2021}}</ref>
|style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"|
|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
|- class="sortbottom"
|colspan=6|Source: Election Committee<ref name=EAP880-1-1-334>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-334 |title=Declaration of Election Results |author=Election Committee, Government of Sikkim |date=15 February 1973 |access-date= 15 June 2021}}</ref>{{rp|64–65}}
|}

===Appointed members===
In addition to the elected members, six members were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the Chogyal on 5 March; Traten Sherba Gyaltsen, Madan Mohan Rasaily, Chhoutuk Tsering Pazo, Dhan Bahadur Chettri, Kali Prasad Rai and Atang Lepcha.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-334 |title=Nominations of Sikkim Council members|date=5 March 1973|access-date= 15 June 2021 |pages=72}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
Following the election, the [[Sikkim National Congress]] and Sikkim Janata Congress claimed that vote rigging took place in the South Sikkim constituency.<ref name=sikkimexpress>{{cite web |url=http://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/the-8th-may-agreement |title=The 8th May Agreement |date=8 May 2021 |newspaper= Sikkim Express |author=Shanker Sharma |access-date= 10 July 2021 |quote=The defeated parties alleged polling in Rabong in South Sikkim was rigged in the favour of the SNP candidate}}</ref> They demanded that officials involved were arrested, but these demands were not met, leading to protests.<ref name=HB1/> The unrest led to the signing of a tripartite agreement on 8 May between the Choygal, Sikkimese political parties and the [[government of India]]. The agreement provided for the establishment of a responsible government under the supervision of a Chief Executive nominated by the Indian government.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Sikkimese elections}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Elections in Sikkim, 1970s in Sikkim, Election and referendum articles with incomplete results, January 1973 events in Asia
|description=
}}

[[Category:Elections in Sikkim]]
[[Category:1973 elections in Asia|Sikkim]]
[[Category:1970s in Sikkim]]
[[Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results]]
[[Category:January 1973 events in Asia]]

1973 Sikkimese general election - Revision history

MetaBOT at 11:44, 13 July 2023