Abstract: The issue of political representation played a significant role in the unification, consolidation and reconstruction of a small Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim. Even after Sikkim’s merger with India (16th April,1975) this issue continues to be a source of contention among different communities and political parties in Sikkim. In this light, this paper examines the politics and functioning of one-man-one-vote system of political representation which replaced “communal” parity system of political representation in Sikkim. It analyses the democratic effects of tribal associations of Bhutia-Lepchas in asserting tribal identities and ensuring “genuine tribal representation” in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. The major thrust of this study is the fundamental transformation in the nature of these ethnic associations from being discriminatory and political to becoming more exclusive and democratic.