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The ruling NDPP swept the civic body polls in Nagaland on June 29, winning all three municipal councils and most of the town councils, officials said.
The polling for the 24 urban local bodies – three municipal councils and 21 town councils – spread across 10 districts was held on Wednesday through ballot papers. Nearly 82% of the over 2.23 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the elections, they said.
NDPP won all three municipal councils – Kohima, Mokokchung and Dimapur, they added.
Of the 21 town councils, the NDPP secured a majority in most. It could not win Wokha, Phek and Tuli, while it did not field candidates in Bhandari and Niuland town councils.
In the Wokha Town Council, NDPP won seven out of 15 seats, while NCP bagged five and BJP got three seats.
The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), which has only two seats in the Assembly – Bhandari and Phek, got a majority in both town councils. In Bhandari Town Council in Wokha district, NPF won six of the nine wards, while the BJP and JDU got one each, and the remaining one was won by an Independent candidate.
In Phek Town Council in Phek district, NPF won seven of the nine seats.
NDPP, which had already won five of the 19 seats in the Kohima Municipal Council unopposed, added eight more after the final declaration of result, securing a majority.
In Mokokchung Municipal Council, NDPP bagged 15 of the total 18 seats. Among those 15, are six seats it won uncontested.
The NDPP won 13 of the 23 seats in the Dimapur Municipal Council. The BJP won six seats, NPP bagged two, and two Independent candidates also won.
The lowest margin of victory was one vote and it was recorded in two places – in ward 8 of Chantongya Town Council, where NDPP candidate Temjennungsang defeated Independent nominee A Limasanen, and in Pfutsero Town Council’s ward 6 where Kadielhi Mero of NDPP defeated Independent candidate Albert Mero, State Election Commission officials said.
The highest margin of victory was recorded in Dimapur’s ward 7 where Nikali Sumi Chophi of NPP defeated Aghatoli Y. Tuccu by 568 votes.
The youngest among the winning candidates is 22-year-old Nzanrhomi I Mozhui of the BJP, who won ward 1 of Bhandari Town Council in Wokha district. She defeated Hayiana Y Tungoe of the NPF.
The oldest was 71-year-old Sibeule of NDPP who won Peren Town Council’s ward 6. She defeated Independent candidate Kezaiyilung Thou.
The NDPP had earlier won all nine wards of the Chiephobozou Town Council in Kohima district unopposed.
Altogether 523 candidates from 11 political parties were in the fray. NDPP fielded the highest number of candidates at 178, followed by BJP at 44, Congress at 37, NPP at 22, NPF at 21 and NCP at 15. JD(U) contested nine seats, RPI (Athawale) and LJP seven each, and Rising Peoples’ Party one. Also, there were 182 Independent candidates.
A total of 64 candidates – 45 of NDPP, seven of BJP, five of NCP, three of Congress, two of NPF and two Independents had won unopposed from different municipal and town councils. Counting was held for the remaining 214 wards where polling was held.
The civic body polls in the State were held after a gap of two decades.
It is also historic as this was the first municipal election in the state to be held with 33% reservation for women.
The government had announced elections to the urban local bodies several times in the past but objections from tribal bodies and civil society organisations to reservations for women and tax on land and properties had held back the polls.
Nagaland has a total of 39 town councils, but no election was held in 14 of those as they are located in the six eastern districts where tribal bodies called for a boycott.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of seven Naga tribes in these six districts, has been demanding a ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’, claiming that the region has been neglected for years.
As many as 59 nominations were accepted from the region but the tribal bodies compelled the candidates to withdraw from the race. These districts also did not vote in the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing a press conference, State Election Commissioner T. John Longkumer said the entire poll process was completed peacefully without any major incident.
On the viral videos of state Advisor Hekani Jakhalu entering polling stations in Dimapur, he said the SEC is awaiting an official complaint. He, however, said the matter was being investigated.
Police Nodal Officer for SEC Rankathung Vikram Ezung said that since the enforcement of the model code of conduct, 21 cases related to law and order issues were registered and 22 people were arrested.
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