Gangtok: In a bid to revive unity among the opposition parties, two regional parties Sikkim Nationalist Peoples Party (SNPP) and Sikkim Jan Ekta Party (SJEP)have come together to cobble up yet another forum United Sikkim Alliance(USA) to fight the assembly and parliamentary polls.

The USA will seek to oust the Chamling government from power by preventing division of opposition votes at the hustings, the SNPP President Biraj Adhikari and SJEP President
Basant Rai told reporters at a joint press conference here.

According to the understanding reached between the leaders of the two parties, they will put up a joint candidate on each of the 32 assembly and one parliamentary seats against
the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), they said, but clarified that the individual candidates will contest the polls on the symbol of their respective parties.

A coordination committee comprising the top leaders of the two regional parties have been formed to finalise the candidates’ list and the manifesto, the duo said, adding the
list of candidates will be released on April 5 next.

The two parties shared a common views on a host of issues like the violation of article 371 (f) of the constitution applicable to Sikkim, restoration of the reserved assembly seats for the Nepali communities and the rising unemployment which they will strive to work for if elected to power, Adhikari and Rai said. — PTI