Gangtok, March 30: Six fresh faces and 16 veterans were on the first list of 22 Assembly candidates announced by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) today.

The decision comes in the wake of yesterday’s meeting of the SDF’s parliamentary board chaired by party president Pawan Chamling.

Leading the list is the chief minister himself, who is contesting from Damthang for the fourth consecutive time.

The party is yet to announce the candidates for 10 of the 32 Assembly seats. Their names are likely to be announced in the first week of April.

As many as five sitting legislators have been dropped while four legislators have been shifted out of their present constituencies.

The party has also decided to field two prominent women candidates. Former Speaker Kalawati Subba will contest the Yuksom seat while convener of the party’s women’s wing Beena Rai has been selected as the candidate for Chakung. Both seats lie in West district.

The sitting legislator from Chakung, Prem Singh Tamang, has been shifted to Central Pendam in east Sikkim where he will take on state Congress president Nar Bahadur Bhandari.

Living up to promises of including new and dynamic candidates, the party has decided to field youth leaders and successful professionals.

D.N. Takarpa, member of the state planning commission, will replace Thutob Bhutia in Tashiding in west Sikkim. Party youth convener Deepak Gurung will make his poll debut from Dentam in west Sikkim. He will replace sitting legislator Narendra Kumar Subba who has been shifted to the Hee Bermiok constituency.

Party general secretary (South & West) Dawcho Lepcha is the new face for Rinchenpong constituency where sitting legislator O. T. Lepcha has been dropped. Similarly, party treasurer and confidential assistant C. B. Karki will contest from Wok in south Sikkim. K. N. Rai, who represents Wok at present, has been shifted to Jorethang Naya Bazaar where sitting MLA Bhoj Raj Rai was refused a ticket.

Among the 16 veterans, the party has renominated heavyweights and senior members including Chamling’s deputy D. D. Bhutia from Ralang in south Sikkim, Garjaman Gurung from Temi Tarku, Hishey Lachungpa from Lachen Mangshila, S. B. Subedi from Geyzing, Ram Bahadur Subba from Soreng and Ran Bahadur Subba from Daramdin.