Editing Sikkim Democratic Front (section)

==History ==
The party was founded by [[Pawan Kumar Chamling]] in 1993. It has ruled the Sikkim state from 1994 to 2019 with Pawan Kumar Chamling as the [[Chief Minister (India)|chief minister]]. The party consolidated its position sweeping the 1999 and 2004 state elections. It won 31 of the 32 assembly seats in the 2004 election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp |title=Election Commission India |access-date=2010-10-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005110118/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp |archive-date=5 October 2010 |df=dmy-all }} Election Commission of India - Sikkim Assembly Elections</ref> In the 2009 assembly election, the party made a clean sweep, winning all 32 seats. It also retained the lone [[Lok Sabha]] seat.<ref>http://ceosikkim.nic.in/Index.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813085718/http://ceosikkim.nic.in/index.htm |date=13 August 2011 }} Election Results 2009</ref> In 2014 assembly elections, SDF won 22 seats and retained power.

In May 2016, after the BJP led NDA formed its first government in [[Assam]], a new alliance called the [[North-East Democratic Alliance]] (NEDA) was formed with BJP leader [[Himanta Biswa Sarma]] as its convener.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/sikkim-cm-wants-bjp-chief-to-step-in/articleshow/60383450.cms|title=Sikkim CM wants BJP chief to step in|website=[[The Times of India]]|date=6 September 2017|archive-date=7 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907025043/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/sikkim-cm-wants-bjp-chief-to-step-in/articleshow/60383450.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> The Chief Ministers of the north eastern states of [[Sikkim]], [[Assam]], Manipur, [[Arunachal Pradesh]] and [[Nagaland]] too belong to this alliance. Thus, the Sikkim Democratic Front joined the NDA led NEDA.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/amit-shah-holds-meeting-with-northeast-cms-forms-alliance/story-YDYLQ6YsImuzZOQ6Zev5MO.html|title = Amit Shah holds meeting with northeast CMS, forms alliance|date = 25 May 2016|access-date = 25 May 2016|archive-date = 26 May 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160526061921/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/amit-shah-holds-meeting-with-northeast-cms-forms-alliance/story-YDYLQ6YsImuzZOQ6Zev5MO.html|url-status = live}}</ref>

[[Pawan Kumar Chamling]] resigned as CM after [[2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election]] as former member [[Prem Singh Tamang]]'s [[Sikkim Krantikari Morcha]] party formed the government by winning 17 seats out of 32. SDF party won the remaining 15 seats. But in August 2019, 10 MLAs quit his party to join the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] and in the same month two other legislators joined [[Sikkim Krantikari Morcha]]. Thus making [[Pawan Kumar Chamling]] the only MLA of his party.<ref>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bjp-now-main-opposition-party-in-sikkim-even-without-winning-a-single-seat/articleshow/70657139.cms?from=mdr BJP now main opposition party in Sikkim even without winning a single seat]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-sdf-legislators-switch-over-to-bjp/story-qKcQJuqMqn2jbnoE1juggK.html |title=10 SDF legislators switch over to BJP |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008081602/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-sdf-legislators-switch-over-to-bjp/story-qKcQJuqMqn2jbnoE1juggK.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/ten-sdf-mlas-join-bjp-sikkim-may-be-headed-towards-arunachal-pradesh-route-as-mass-crossovers-leave-ex-cm-in-the-lurch-7165761.html |title=Ten SDF MLAs join BJP: Sikkim may be headed towards Arunachal Pradesh route, as mass crossovers leave ex-CM in the lurch |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=1 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201142130/https://www.firstpost.com/politics/ten-sdf-mlas-join-bjp-sikkim-may-be-headed-towards-arunachal-pradesh-route-as-mass-crossovers-leave-ex-cm-in-the-lurch-7165761.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The party won only 1 seat in the [[2024 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election]], with former CM [[Pawan Kumar Chamling]] losing the election from both the seats he contested. Later, its only MLA defected to [[Sikkim Krantikari Morcha]], thus reducing its strength in the legislative assembly to zero.<ref>{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2024-07-10 |title=Lone SDF MLA in Sikkim Assembly Tenzing Norbu Lamtha joins ruling SKM |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sikkim/lone-sdf-mla-in-sikkim-assembly-tenzing-norbu-lamtha-joins-ruling-skm/article68388258.ece |access-date=2024-07-10 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=28 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128103349/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sikkim/lone-sdf-mla-in-sikkim-assembly-tenzing-norbu-lamtha-joins-ruling-skm/article68388258.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>