Gangtok, Dec. 9: The simmering rebellion within the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front is now out in the open with party MLA P.S. Tamang launching a portal criticising the Pawan Chamling-led government.

The dissent shown by Tamang, the MLA from Upper Burtuk in East Sikkim and a youth leader with mass support, in the website, www.sikkimcalls.com, has prompted the SDF leadership to clip his wings by giving the charge of his constituency to another leader yesterday.

Tamang, who has been minister for three terms, was the only leader that the party did not drop in the Assembly elections in May. He was however, not given a cabinet berth. The SDF, ruling Sikkim since 1994, had denied tickets to 10 senior MLAs this time.

Since June, Tamang has gone underground and did not even visit his constituency and participate in any government programme.

In a release, the SDF said D.T. Lepcha was appointed the official in charge of the Upper Burtuk constituency “with immediate effect”. Sources in the party said though Tamang had not been stripped of his primary membership, the central executive committee would meet soon to discuss the launch of the website that has hit hard the party leadership.

Tamang had made an appearance at Namchi on Monday during the launch of the website. He was with SDF adviser-turned-rebel Bhoj Raj Rai, also a former minister of the Chamling cabinet.

“The aim of the website is to herald political transparency for positive change,” Tamang had said during the launch.“Every concerned individual should work for communal harmony.” The portal contains issues of corruption in the government and a direct attack on Chamling.

Rai had hinted at the discontent in the SDF on November 17 at a media conference that a new party would be soon launched with Tamang as the leader. He had accused Chamling of marginalising all senior leaders who had stood by him all these years and had been taking decisions on his own like a “dictator”.

Tamang could not be contacted, though his close aides claimed that he would soon make another public appearance with “much more to say”.

Senior SDF leaders refused comment.