KOHIMA: After a long 20-year wait, Nagaland witnessed its first civic body polls with a voter turnout of over 83% across its municipal polls on Wednesday.
Defying a boycott call by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), 2.76 lakh eligible voters participated in elections spanning three municipal councils and 36 town councils.
The electoral exercise featured 523 candidates, including 198 women, marking a significant return to local governance after a twenty-year hiatus.
Highlighting regional disparities in voter engagement, Atoizu Town Council reported the highest turnout at 95.47%, while Changtongya Town Council recorded the lowest at 67.70%.
The State Election Commission of Nagaland declared a void poll at Polling Station No. 4 under Ward 20 of Dimapur Municipal Council, necessitating a fresh poll scheduled for June 28 under legal provisions.
In Dimapur, law enforcement took preventive actions, detaining approximately 300 individuals across various locations.
Seizures included weapons such as a pistol and numerous catapults, with additional confiscations of 40 catapults suspected for misuse in the electoral process.
Near a polling station in Rail Bazaar, police intercepted an individual with Rs 2.3 lakhs in cash, suspected for proxy voting activities.
State Election Commissioner T. John Longkumer affirmed that no votes were cast in eastern Nagaland due to the Easter Nagaland People’s Organisation’s (ENPO) boycott over demand of Frontier Nagaland Territory, prompting withdrawal of all candidates from local councils in the region.
Despite these challenges, Longkumer, former DGP of Nagaland, reported smooth polling operations statewide, devoid of any major incidents.
The municipal elections, marked by a 33% reservation for women across 418 wards, represent a landmark in Nagaland’s political landscape, overcoming historical resistance from tribal bodies and civil society against women’s representation in governance.
The delayed electoral process, culminating in these polls, underscores both the aspirations for local autonomy and the complexities of regional politics in Nagaland.
