After 20 years, Nagaland holds civic body polls, over 20% voting recorded in two hours

Kohima, Jun 26 (PTI) Around 20 per cent of the 2.23 lakh electors exercised their franchise on Wednesday in the first two hours of the civic body polls being held for the first time in Nagaland in 20 years, an official said. Voting began at 7.30 am with tight security arrangements in place and will continue till 4 pm.

This was a historic election in the northeastern state as the polling to three municipalities and 22 town councils was being conducted after a gap of 20 years. The last elections were held in 2004.

The urban local body polls were being held for the first time with 33 per cent women reservation, said the official at the Nagaland State Election Commission.

The government had announced elections to urban local bodies several times in the past but objections from tribal bodies and civil society organisations against reservation for women, and tax on land and properties had held back the polls.

"Polling has been peaceful so far with three-tier security arrangements in place in 214 wards across 10 districts of the state. Over 20 per cent of voting was recorded in the first two hours," the SEC official said.

Over 2.23 lakh voters, including 1,13,521 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 523 candidates from 11 political parties.

Among the parties contesting the elections are the NDPP, BJP, Congress, Naga Peoples' Front (NPF), Rising Peoples' Party, RPI (Athawale), JD(U), LJP, NCP and NPP.

Instead of EVMs, voting was being conducted in 420 polling stations through ballot papers, he said.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) has decided that the six districts in the region would not participate in the elections.

ENPO, the apex body of seven Naga tribes living in the six eastern districts, has been demanding a 'Frontier Nagaland Territory', claiming that the region has been neglected for years.

There are 14 town councils in the ENPO area. As many as 59 nominations were accepted from the region but the tribal bodies compelled the candidates to withdraw their nominations.

The ENPO also refrained from participating in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state.

Votes will be counted on June 29. PTI