As of the last update on April 2, 2026, three candidates withdrew their nominations in the Gangtok municipal polls, leaving Diesel Power House (DPH) the only Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) ward still likely to see a contest. The withdrawals have significantly reduced the number of contested seats ahead of the nomination withdrawal deadline on April 4, 2026.
SKM (Sikkim Krantikari Morcha) nominee Avisek Sharma pulled his nomination from the DPH ward, which nevertheless remains contested because it still lists a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and an independent candidate. With Sharma’s exit, DPH is currently the sole GMC ward with more than one remaining candidate.
An independent candidate in the Arithang‑I ward withdrew his nomination, leaving the SKM candidate there unopposed. Similarly, BJP candidate Pempo Dorjee Lepcha withdrew from the Tadong ward, making the SKM nominee the lone contestant in that seat.
So far, twenty GMC wards have become uncontested in favour of SKM, while the BJP faces meaningful competition only in DPH from an independent candidate, based on filings recorded up to the last update. The final status of nominations could still shift until the official withdrawal deadline on April 4, 2026.
In the nearby Singtam Nagar Panchayat elections, the SKM withdrew its nominee for the Pipal Dara ward, leaving BJP candidate Rajani Singh Cintury as the sole candidate for that seat. The remaining four wards in Singtam are already uncontested with only SKM candidates on the ballot.
These developments mean many local seats may be decided without polls, concentrating electoral contests in only a handful of wards and narrowing voter choice where nominations have been withdrawn. Election authorities will confirm the final list of contested and uncontested wards after the April 4, 2026 withdrawal deadline.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/municipal-elections-dph-only-gmc-ward-featuring-contesting-candidates
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