Chamling files nomination in Namchi collectorate on Wednesday. (Prabin Khaling)

Gangtok, April 8: Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling today filed nominations from Namchi-Singitham and Poklok-Kamrang seats — both in South district.

Sikkim goes to simultaneous polls for 32 Assembly and lone Lok Sabha seat on April 30.

A huge gathering greeted Chamling when he reached South district headquarters Namchi, also his hometown, in a private vehicle. Around 11am, he submitted his papers before district collector D. Anand. Chamling had recently said he would contest in the two constituencies as people of both the areas urged him to.

The SDF president had left Gangtok yesterday for Namchi and will hit an eight-day-long campaign trail in South and West districts with a rally at Jorethang tomorrow.

In Gangtok, Prem Das Rai, the former deputy chairperson of the state planning commission, submitted his nominations as an SDF candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat.

Former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari of the Congress, who had entered the fray from Khamdong-Singtam yesterday, today filed nominations for Chakung-Soreng seat in West Sikkim.

Citizenship notice

Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Union home ministry, the Election Commission and Chamling, asking them to send in their replies on a petition challenging the chief minister’s citizenship. The petition, filed by Padam Prasad Sharma, a BJP worker in Sikkim, alleged that Chamling had acquired Nepalese citizenship and could not hold a constitutional post in India.

Justice Ravinder Bhatt, while issuing the notices, set July 17 as the last date for receiving the replies.