The party drew dissident members from the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front and the INC, who claimed the new party would promote a Sikkim free of caste or communal based politics.
[1] In the October 1997 panchayat (local) elections, the first local elections in Sikkim to allow political parties, the SEM criticised this "politicization" and only fielded independent candidates.
[2][3] Shortly thereafter, Rai broke away from the SEM to form the Sikkim Janshakti Party.
In the 1998 general election SEM ran a joint candidate with Congress, the Sikkim Sangram Parishad and the Sikkim National Front for the state's single Lok Sabha seat.
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