Sangha Assembly constituency

Sangha Assembly constituency is one of the 32 assembly constituencies of Sikkim, a state in the Northeast region of India. It is a part of the Sikkim Lok Sabha constituency.^[4] As of 2019, Sonam Lama is the holder of this seat. His current term is expected to end by 2024.^{[needs update]}

Sangha
Constituency No. 32 for the Sikkim Legislative Assembly
Constituency details
Country	India
Region	Northeast India
State	Sikkim
Lok Sabha constituency	Sikkim
Established	1958[1][2]
Total electors	3,293[3] [needs update]
Reservation	Sangha
Member of Legislative Assembly
11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly
Incumbent Sonam Lama
Party	Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
Elected year	2024

Sikkim (highlighted in red), within India

This seat is reserved for the Buddhist monastic community (Sangha) of Sikkim.^[5] Buddhist monks and nuns, registered with the 111 recognized monasteries in the state,^[6] are the only ones who can contest and cast their votes for this Assembly seat.^[5]

Members of the Sikkim State Council

The Sangha constituency was created in 1958 for the Sikkim State Council,^[1] after requests from the monastery associations to the Chogyal.^[2]

Members of the Sikkim State Council

Election	Name	Party
1958	Lharipa Rinzing Lama[7][8]		Sikkim National Party[1]
1967	Pema Lama[9]		Independent
1970	Rinzing Chewang Lama[10]
1973	Peyching Lama[11]		Sikkim National Party[1]
1974	Karma Gompu Lama[12][13]		Sikkim National Congress[14]

Members of the Legislative Assembly

After the 1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum, Sikkim became a state of India and the members of the State Council at the time, were deemed to be the Legislative Assembly of the new state of Sikkim.

Members of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly

Election	Name	Party
1974	Karma Gompu Lama[12][13]		Sikkim National Congress[14]
1979[15]	Lhachen Ganchen Rimpuchhi		Independent
1985[16]	Namkha Gyaltsen[13]		Sikkim Sangram Parishad
1989[17]
1994[18]			Indian National Congress
1999	Palden Lama[19]		Independent
2004	Tshering Lama[20]		Indian National Congress
2009	Phetook Tsh. Bhutia[21]		Sikkim Democratic Front
2014[22]	Sonam Lama		Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
2019[23]
2024

Supreme Court case

In 1993, a case was brought in the Supreme Court of India, challenging the reservation for the Sangha constituency and for the Bhutia-Lepcha constituencies in Sikkim, by Ram Chandra Poudyal^[24] of the Rising Sun Party. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, judging that the Sangha had played a major part in previous Councils' decision-making and the reservation is not based purely on religious distinctions and is, therefore, not unconstitutional.^[25][26]

Election results

Assembly Election 2024

2024 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SKM	Sonam Lama	1,919	60.01%	2.62
	BJP	Tseten Tashi Bhutia	1,054	32.96%	New
	SDF	Tshering Lama	114	3.56%	32.55
	Citizen Action Party-Sikkim	Norcho Lepcha	97	3.03%	New
Margin of victory			865	27.05%	0.53
Turnout			3,198	78.50%	6.34
Registered electors			4,074		23.72
	SKM hold		Swing	2.62

Assembly election 2019

2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[27]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SKM	Sonam Lama	1,488	62.63%	12.76
	SDF	Tshering Lama	858	36.11%	8.07
	INC	Karma Tashi Bhutia	17	0.72%	4.20
	NOTA	None of the Above	13	0.55%	0.50
Margin of victory			630	26.52%	20.83
Turnout			2,376	72.15%	3.54
Registered electors			3,293		13.40
	SKM hold		Swing	12.76

Assembly election 2014

2014 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SKM	Sonam Lama	1,096	49.86%	New
	SDF	Palden Lachungpa	971	44.18%	5.32
	INC	Tshering Lama	108	4.91%	41.80
	NOTA	None of the Above	23	1.05%	New
Margin of victory			125	5.69%	2.91
Turnout			2,198	75.69%	10.94
Registered electors			2,904		5.04
	SKM gain from SDF		Swing	0.37

Assembly election 2009

2009 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SDF	Phetook Tshering Bhutia	980	49.49%	27.99
	INC	Tshering Lama	925	46.72%	14.39
	BJP	Samdup Dorjee Lama	75	3.79%	1.30
Margin of victory			55	2.78%	1.44
Turnout			1,980	64.75%	2.24
Registered electors			3,058
	SDF gain from INC		Swing

Assembly election 2004

2004 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Tshering Lama	675	32.33%	13.57
	Independent	Palden Lama	587	28.11%	New
	SDF	Namkha Gyaltse Bhutia	449	21.50%	New
	Independent	Thinley Gyatso Lepcha	310	14.85%	New
	BJP	Samdup Dorjee Lama	52	2.49%	New
	Independent	Sonam Dorjee	15	0.72%	New
Margin of victory			88	4.21%	43.38
Turnout			2,088	66.99%	7.02
Registered electors			3,117
	INC gain from Independent		Swing	34.02

Assembly election 1999

1999 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[30]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Palden Lama	1,309	66.35%	New
	INC	Namkha Gyaltsen Lama	370	18.75%	28.33
	SSP	Dorjee Dadul Lama	294	14.90%	New
Margin of victory			939	47.59%	39.98
Turnout			1,973	61.43%	7.18
Registered electors			3,290		6.61
	Independent gain from INC		Swing

Assembly election 1994

1994 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[31]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Namkha Gyaltsen Lama	767	47.08%	33.51
	SDF	Palden Lama	643	39.47%	New
	Independent	Sherab Dorji	150	9.21%	New
	Independent	Karma Tenpa	40	2.46%	New
	Independent	Tshering Lama	16	0.98%	New
	Independent	Danen Lama	13	0.80%	New
Margin of victory			124	7.61%	18.46
Turnout			1,629	54.02%	6.98
Registered electors			3,086		4.04
	INC gain from SSP		Swing	7.63

Assembly election 1989

1989 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SSP	Nanjha Gyaltsen	806	54.72%	2.40
	Independent	Bazing	422	28.65%	New
	INC	Rikzing Lama	200	13.58%	34.10
	RIS	Pegyal	38	2.58%	New
Margin of victory			384	26.07%	21.42
Turnout			1,473	47.89%	13.92
Registered electors			3,216		40.07
	SSP hold		Swing	2.40

Assembly election 1985

1985 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[33]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SSP	Namkha Gyaltsen	383	52.32%	New
	INC	Lachen Gomchen Rinpochi	349	47.68%	New
Margin of victory			34	4.64%	83.79
Turnout			732	31.88%	4.92
Registered electors			2,296		8.61
	SSP gain from Independent		Swing

Assembly election 1979

1979 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election: Sangha^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Lhachen Ganchen Rimpuchhi	733	94.22%	New
	SPC	Pema Lama	45	5.78%	New
Margin of victory			688	88.43%
Turnout			778	38.13%
Registered electors			2,114
	Independent win (new seat)

Sikkim State Council

1974

1974 Sikkimese general election: Sangha^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNC	Karma Gonpo Lama			NA
	Independent	Pema Chophel Lama[35]			NA
Majority					NA
Turnout					NA
	SNC gain from SNP		Swing	NA

1973

In the 1973 election, Peyching Lama was elected unopposed.^[11]

1970

1970 Sikkimese general election: Sangha^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rinzing Chewang Lama	367	82.29
	SJP	Karma Lama	46	10.31
	SNC	Kincho Tempa Lama	33	7.40
Majority			321	71.97
Turnout			446
	Independent hold		Swing

1967

1967 Sikkimese general election: Sangha^[37][9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Pema Lama
		Rabzang Lama
Majority
Turnout
	Independent gain from SNP		Swing

See also

• List of constituencies of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly
• List of Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim
• Sikkim Lok Sabha constituency
• Reserved political positions in India