Nagaland set to get first woman Rajya Sabha MP as only one candidate filed nomination

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 21 (EMN): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, S Phangnon Konyak, is all set to become the first woman Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland as no other political parties fielded nominees for the lone seat when the deadline for filing nomination papers ended on Monday.

The Naga People’s Front Legislature Party (NPFLP) on Monday paved the way for Konyak by deciding not to contest in the upcoming election. The NDPP had earlier made it clear that it would support the BJP candidate considering its alliance with the party.

Konyak, who is from Mon district, filed her nomination in the office of the Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha polls on Monday, the last day for filing the nomination papers for elections to the Upper House of the Parliament on March 31.

She filed the nomination papers in the presence of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Minister and BJP President Nagaland State Unit, Temjen Imna Along, Minister P Paiwang Konyak and a host of other party workers.

‘I want to take people’s aspirations forward’

Konyak, who is the incumbent president of BJP Mahila Morcha (Women Wing), Nagaland state unit, expressed her happiness on being nominated to the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat, saying that BJP, which always focuses on women empowerment, had given her the opportunity and she felt really good.

Speaking to journalists after filing her nomination papers, she said that there’s lot of optimism and hope as the state government has finally taken a decision on Urban Local Body (ULB) election.

When asked about her priorities, she asserted that she will represent the state and discuss with the elected members from the state about the priorities that need to be taken up for the state.

‘What I hope for is that I want to take the aspirations of the people forward in a practical way, and one advantage of being from the BJP is that the party at the Centre is very accommodative, so we hope to bring some practical changes, definitely but then first I’ll have to go there (Delhi),’ she said.

Expects more women in upcoming election

“We (women) represent around 50 percent of the vote share and women has been very active politically; it is just that this one barrier, which is that we never contested for elections. So, now, I have come forward and I found that the party is very forthcoming; I have given my application and it was considered. Likewise, I encouraged the women to come forward because we are very expert in electioneering and we need to come forward,” she added.

She further expressed hope that many women candidates will come forward in the upcoming election, as the state general election is due to be held in early part of 2023.

Meanwhile, Minister Temjen Imna Along, who is also the president of the BJP state unit, said that the party leadership has always work for the empowerment of women and that has perforated down to every level in the BJP cadre.

He added that the leadership of the NDPP starting from Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has always stood for women empowerment in every way, citing the decent declaration of the consultative meeting with mass-based civil organisations to conduct the ULB election with 33% reservation for women.

He added that Phangnon Konyak was the lone female candidate out of the nine eligible candidates.

It may be mentioned that if elected, Konyak will be the second woman from Nagaland to become a Member of Parliament after Rano Shaiza, who won Lok Sabha election in the 1970s.