Gangtok, May 27 (UNI) PS Goley has assumed charge of office from today afternoon as the Chief Minister of Sikkim.
He is the 6th CM in the series starting from Kazi Lhendup Dorjee Khangsarpa, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, BB Gurung, Sanchaman Limboo and Pawan Chamling. He has said that first cabinet meeting will be held today itself.
In his message to the people, he said ‘Public has sent us here to rule, now we shall be serving in keeping with their hopes and aspirations. He thanked all the people of the state.
Born in the family of Dhan Maya Tamang and Kalu Singh Tamang, on February 5,1968 in Chakhung West Sikkim, Prem Singh was educated in Soreng Govt School and graduated from Government College Darjeeling, West Bengal.
Young Goley then took up teaching as his career, served from 1990 to 1993. Subsequently he was attracted towards politics and joined a new party then Sikkim Democratic Front founded by Pawan Chamling.
PS Goley won election to Sikkim Legislative Assembly in 1994 and joined as an MLA, under Pawan Kumar Chamling’s leadership. He was assigned Animal Husbandry Industries and Ecclesiastical portfolios. Three times Minister from 1994 to 1999, He was again made minister for AH & VS, Industries from 1999 to 2004. 2004 to 2009 he was Minister for Buildings & Housing.
In 2009, he was elected from Burtuk East and was given the responsibility of Chairman Industries. He refused to accept it and he started gradually drifting away from then Chief Minister P K Chamling. In 2014, he contested election from his own party which he founded on February 4, 2013, almost 15 months before election with the help of his friends. He resigned from SDF party in 2013.
He became popular among urban voters mainly to begin with and won 10 seats in 2014. But it was not all that easy soon 7 of his MLAs deserted him to join SDF. In the meantime a case which was pending against him and he was sentenced to an year’s imprisonment with Rs 10,000 fine due to the cow distribution scam, which took place when he was Minister AH& VS.
He did not go to jail in 2016 but suddenly surrendered before the court in 2017 in Gangtok. He then was sent to Rongey State Jail, from where he was released on August 10, 2018. This gained a lots of additional sympathy for him and his determination to oust one time friend CM PK Chamling strengthened. And here he was winning 17 out of 32 seats, sending SDF to minority. He did not contest election this time as he was disqualified after his conviction as per the rules. He had to leave the MLAship also.
According to some of the SDF Constitutional experts he will not be able to contest elections for 6 years due to conviction and disqualification case under the prevention of Corruption Act. But now that he has become CM contesting or not contesting election will become a debate later.
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