Gangtok, Jan 25 : Rebel Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leader Ganesh Rai resigned from the party and announced that he would soon launch a new political outfit.
Rai, the vice president of the SDF South District committee accompanied by senior SDF leaders and former ministers, Dawcho Lepcha and Sonam Gyatso Lepcha and 42 others submitted their resignations at the SDF head office here on Monday.
The reason for leaving SDF was to bring about a transformation in the political scenario of the state, Rai told reporters.
He claimed that the SDF leadership had not reacted to their voice of bringing about positive changes and reforms in the party with changing times and so it is best to leave SDF and form a new party.
He said that the date for the launch of the new party would be disclosed soon.
Rai said his new party would not only highlight issues related to the common Sikkimese people but will also offer solutions. He added that the new party will not be run by a single entity and that it will be a collective decision of the party and the people on how to run the party.
Sources at the Sikkim Democratic Front head office confirmed that Ganesh Rai, Dawcho Lepcha and Sonam Gyatso Lepcha have submitted their resignations to the party high command.
The SDF is led by former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and is the main opposition party in the Himalayan state. It was the ruling party in the state from December 1994 to May 2019.
