Nagaland govt likely to name members in civic bodies where polls not held due to vote boycott

KOHIMA — Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that since no civic body elections were held in the Eastern Nagaland areas, the state government was considering appointing nominated members in the town councils in the region keeping in mind the need to assist the people to develop their areas.

Addressing an official function, the Chief Minister said that the government could not keep the urban areas of Eastern Nagaland in isolation.

“We would take them along with and provide grants to carry out development works,” Rio said.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) swept the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls securing all three municipal councils — Kohima, Mokokchung, Dimapur and a majority of the town councils.

The ULB polls were held on June 26 after a gap of 20 years and results were declared on June 29.

The civil polls were a historic event as this was the first municipal election in Nagaland held with 33 per cent reservation for women.

Nagaland has a total of 39 town councils, but no election was held in 15 councils as these are located in the six eastern districts where the influential Naga tribal body, Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), called for a vote boycott.

In all, 79 candidates filed their nominations in these six districts but the ENPO leaders forced the nominees to withdraw their candidatures.

Since 2010, the ENPO has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland Territory, or a separate state, comprising six eastern Nagaland districts — Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang — inhabited by seven backward tribes — Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung.

The people in the six districts, which have over four lakh voters, also remained indoors during the Lok Sabha polls on April 19, responding to the ENPO’s boycott call.

Also read: Chief Minister Rio proposes separate directorate for ULBs in Nagaland