Prem Singh Tamang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Tamang,c. 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Chief Minister of Sikkim | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 27 May 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | Ganga Prasad Lakshman Acharya Om Prakash Mathur | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Pawan Kumar Chamling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1968-02-05)5 February 1968 (age 58) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Indian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (from 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | National Democratic Alliance Sikkim Democratic Front (till 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Krishna Kumari Rai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 (includingAditya Tamang) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence |
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| Education | Darjeeling Government College (B.A, 1988)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation |
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| Nickname | P. S. Golay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prem Singh Tamang (born 5 February 1968), better known asP. S. Golay,[2] is an Indian politician and former teacher who is serving as theChief Minister of Sikkim from 27 May 2019 and also as leader of the house in state assembly. He is also the founding leader of theSikkim Krantikari Morcha since 2019. He represents the Poklok-Kamrang in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly since 2019, Upper Burtuk from 2009 to 2019 and Chakung from 1994 to 2009. Before forming the SKM party, he was a key member of theSikkim Democratic Front (SDF) Party.[2][3]
Tamang was born on 5 February 1968 in theNepali-speaking Kalu Singh Tamang and Dhan Maya Tamang.[2] He hails fromSingling Busty,West Sikkim.[1] He graduated with a degree inBachelors of Arts fromDarjeeling Government College in 1988.[1] After graduation, he worked as a teacher in a state-run school.[2] He is married to Krishna Rai.[4] His son is politicianAditya Tamang, who is also a member ofSikkim Legislative Assembly fromSoreng-Chakung.[5][6]
In 2024, Tamang was conferred with theGorkha Gaurav Samman 2024 award by theNepali language dailyHimalaya Darpan.[7]
In 1990, he was appointed a graduate teacher under the HRD Department in theGovernment of Sikkim and served until 1993.
Due to his active interest in social work and politics, he resigned from government service and started participating in the political activities of SDF. As theSDF candidate in theSoreng-Chakung constituency,West Sikkim, he was elected to theSikkim Legislative Assembly in 1994. During his affiliations with the SDF party, he served as State Youth Convenor and Vice-President.
He served in ministerial roles in the Sikkim government for three consecutive terms. From 1994 to 1999 as the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Ecclesiastical and Industry Department. From 1999 to 2004 as the Minister for Industries and Animal Husbandry. From 2004 to 2009 as the Minister for Building and Housing Department.
In 2009, after winning an election in the Burtuk Constituency, he was nominated as the Chairperson of Industries Department. However, he did not serve as chairperson. After establishment of his partySikkim Krantikari Morcha, during 2014 he was elected as MLA from Burtuk Constituency.
Golay became a dissident MLA of the SDF party after the Rolu Picnic event that was conducted by employees of Sikkim on 21 December 2009. The ruling party called a show-cause notice to the government workers who attended the Rolu Picnic.
Following this incident, Golay decided to found the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, which opposed the SDF, on 4 February 2013 inSoreng,West Sikkim. On 6 September 2013 he officially resigned from all SDF party duties and became the president of the SKM party. During the election of 2014, the party gained ten of thirty-two seats in the Sikkim State Legislative Assembly under the leadership of Golay. Overall, in the 2014 election, Golay's party shared 42% of total votes in Sikkim.
On 13 January 2017, he was disqualified from theSikkim Legislative Assembly after being convicted on 28 December 2016 for misappropriating government funds while with the SDF between 1994 and 1999.[8] In 2017, he became the main opposition leader of Sikkim, serving as a president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha. His release after conviction on 10 August 2018 witnessed massive gathering.
Golay led theSikkim Krantikari Morcha to victory in 2019 assembly elections winning 17 out of 32 seats in the legislative assembly which eventually ended the 24-year rule of thePawan Kumar Chamling ledSikkim Democratic Front.[9] On 24 May 2019, SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling said Golay will head the government in the state however, according to constitutional experts, his conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act might be a hindrance for him becoming the Chief Minister of Sikkim.[10]
On 27 May 2019, Golay, who did not contest the legislative assembly polls, was sworn in the 6thChief Minister of the state ofSikkim.[11][12][13] Golay won fromPoklok-Kamrang in the by-election with 10,811 votes, securing 84% of the total vote share.[14]
Golay led the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha to victory in2024 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election winning 31 out of 32 seats with a vote percentage of 58.38%.[15][16]
| Year | Constituency | Political Party | Result | Position | Votes | % Votes | % Margin | Deposit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Chakung | Sikkim Democratic Front | Won | 1st/4 | 3,372 | 59.48 | +28.33 | refunded | [17] | |
| 1999 | Won | 1st/3 | 3,572 | 57.94 | +18.69 | refunded | [18] | |||
| 2004 | Won | 1st/4 | 6,644 | 94.42 | +91.59 | refunded | [19] | |||
| 2009 | Upper Burtuk | Won | 1st/6 | 5,908 | 78.63 | +60.73 | refunded | [20] | ||
| 2014 | Namthang-Rateypani | Sikkim Krantikari Morcha | Lost | 2nd/4 | 4,643 | 43.38 | -10.56 | refunded | [21] | |
| 2014 | Upper Burtuk | Won | 1st/4 | 5,272 | 50.73 | +5.59 | refunded | [21] | ||
| 2019 (by-election) | Poklok-Kamrang | Won | 1st/3 | 10,811 | 84.00 | +69.56 | refunded | [14] | ||
| 2024 | Soreng–Chakung | Won | 1st/5 | 10,480 | 72.18 | +50.94 | refunded | [22] | ||
| Rhenock | Won | 1st/7 | 10,094 | 64.54 | +45.04 | refunded | [23] | |||
| State Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly fromPoklok-Kamrang Assembly constituency 2019– | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief Minister of Sikkim 2019 - Present | Succeeded by Incumbent |