Gangtok, March 17 (IANS): Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, seeking his sixth straight term, has launched his campaign. He boarded a taxi from here to Namchi in solidarity with the drivers’ fraternity highlighting their role as “ambassadors” of the state.
He was joined throughout Saturday by thousands of enthusiastic volunteers in the car rally which took off from Lal Bazaar, in the Gangtok city centre, and covered Ranipool, Sintam, Mamring, Namthang and Bhanjyang, before culminating in Namchi.
Chamling began the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party’s campaign for the upcoming legislative assembly election by launching “SDF Pariwar”, a mass contact initiative through which will directly connect the party with people across the state and enroll them as members.
As part of the programme, the Chief Minister knocked on the doors of 10 households in Namchi, interacting with people, seeking feedback on the government’s work and understanding their aspirations. The campaign was simultaneously launched by founder members of the SDF across the state at 500 locations.
As part of the SDF Pariwar, the party will mobilise 15,000 SDF Pariwar Sahyodhas (“SDF Pariwar Ambassadors”) to reach over 1,00,000 households in a span of 10 days, establishing direct connect with 4,00,000 people.
The Sahyodhas will call on the voters in their homes across the state to seek support, solicit feedback on the work done by the SDF government over the past 25 years and obtaining their support to ensure sustained progress of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Chamling stated that aspirations obtained through the campaign will be the basis for SDF government’s development agenda.
As part of the exercise, the SDF party volunteers will record the demands, opinions and grievances of each member.
The party will work towards resolving these demands in the first 100 days of the government.
The exercise is in line with party’s philosophy of “Janta Raj Ma Jantai Raja” (people are kings in a democracy). In effect, the people of Sikkim will set the agenda of the government, Chamling added.
