Nagaland bye-election 2023: NDPP, Congress candidates file nomination papers

DIMAPUR — The 43-Tapi Assembly Constituency bye-election will be a straight fight between the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Indian National Congress (INC), as other political parties have not fielded candidates for the bypoll.

Wangpang Konyak of NDPP and Wanglem Konyak of INC filed their nomination papers for the upcoming bye-election on Friday, the last day of filing nominations, at the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Mon, under the supervision of Rongsenmenla, Sub Divisional Officer (Civil), and Returning Officer of the 43-Tapi (ST) assembly constituency, said an update from DIPR.

Scrutiny of the applications will be conducted on Saturday, while the last day of withdrawal of nominations is October 23, before the polling on November 7 and counting of votes on December 3.

With major political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Naga People’s Front (NPF), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and National People’s Party opting out of the race for the seat left vacant following the demise of NDPP sitting legislator Advisor of Social Welfare, Noke Wangnao in August this year, the upcoming bypoll will be a dual between Wangpang and Wanglem.

While the NDPP will want to retain the seat it had won earlier this year, the INC will be eager to open its account after failing to win a single seat for two consecutive elections to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

The outcome of the bye-election may not have impact on the ruling government with an all-party government in place, but both the parties will want to win in view of the crucial Lok Sabha election next year. For Congress, a victory will also boost its morale after a long draught as well as remove the opposition-less tag of the state government if it decides not to jump on the bandwagon.

It may be mentioned that the NDPP candidate — Wangpang — had worked for late legislator Wangnao, whose demise left the Tapi constituency vacant, as his personal assistant for 15 long years and also worked as a superintendent in the Directorate of New and Renewable Energy department.

Meanwhile, the INC candidate — Wanglem — had contested in the previous assembly election on NPF ticket from the same constituency and lost to Wangnao by a narrow margin of 82 votes. He joined the Congress close on the heels of the announcement of his candidature for the upcoming bye-election.

Paid holiday on polling day

On account of the bye-election to 43-Tapi (ST) Assembly Constituency, the government of Nagaland has declared November 7, polling day, “as paid holiday for all the employees of government, banks, financial institutions, private business establishments, industrial undertakings or any other establishment including any person employed in any trade; in the said constituency, to enable all such persons to participate and exercise their franchise”.

The circular made available to this newspaper by the DIPR, went on to inform that the order will also “apply to all the categories of employees, who are registered as electors in the said constituency but employed in an industrial undertaking or an establishment located outside the said constituency”.

However, it said the order will not apply to any elector whose absence may cause danger or substantial loss in respect of the employment in which one is engaged.

Also read: Nagaland bye-election: Congress confers party ticket to Wanglem Konyak