65-70 percent polling in Sikkim

An estimated 65-70 per cent polling was recorded at the 349 polling stations spread across the four districts of Sikkim where simultaneous elections to the 32 assembly constituencies and the lone Lok Sabha seat were held on Monday amid tight security.

True to Sikkim's reputation as one of the most peaceful states in the country, polling was 'absolutely incident free', election office sources said in Gangtok.

An over 250,000 strong electorate decided the fate of 91 assembly candidates, prominent among them being the chief minister and SDF president Pawan Chamling and his bete noire Nar Bahadur Bhandari of the Congress.

The contenders for the lone Lok Sabha seat include Biraj Adhikari of the Congress, Nakul Das Rai of the SDF, Rajendra Upreti of the SSP and Tara Man Pradhan of the SHRP.