BJP Sikkim spokesperson Passang Gyali Sherpa resigns, cites indecisive leadership and confused messaging

In Sikkim, Passang Gyali Sherpa has resigned from his post as the State Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sikkim Pradesh. Sherpa, who has been a visible face of the party in the state over the last few years, submitted his resignation letter to the State President of BJP Sikkim on Friday, citing serious concerns over the party’s functioning and the indecisiveness of its leadership.

In his resignation letter, Sherpa stated that he was stepping down with a “heavy heart but firm conviction.” He explained that while he had joined the party with a sense of loyalty and had actively worked to strengthen the BJP in Sikkim, the lack of clarity and consistency from the state leadership had made his role as spokesperson impossible to continue.

Sherpa had earlier contested the 2024 Assembly elections from the Tumin-Lingi constituency and was also actively involved in party programmes such as the Seva and Sampark Abhiyan. As the spokesperson, he regularly defended the party’s stand on both local and national issues in the media. However, in his letter, he pointed out that his job had become increasingly difficult because of the “mixed and contradictory signals” coming from the party leadership.

According to him, this lack of clarity has not only confused party workers, or karyakartas, but has also misled the public, weakening the credibility of BJP in the state. “Most damaging is the continuing failure to define whether BJP Sikkim is an alliance partner in government or an opposition party,” Sherpa said in his letter. He added that such indecision has crippled the party’s ability to present a clear message to the people and left him with no choice but to resign.

Sherpa strongly criticised the Sikkim unit’s inability to define its political identity. He wrote that a party spokesperson cannot defend or communicate a position that keeps shifting and remains undefined, as it would harm both the organisation’s image and the individual’s credibility. “A spokesperson cannot represent a shifting, undefined position without sacrificing both the party’s integrity and his own,” he stated.

Along with his resignation, Sherpa also made an appeal to the central leadership of BJP in Delhi. He urged the central leaders, including the Northeast in-charge and the national general secretary, to urgently review the condition of the Sikkim unit and provide clear direction. He warned that if the central leadership does not step in, BJP in Sikkim risks further alienating its own members and losing the trust of the people.