Nagaland ULB election from today; polling personnel dispatched

KOHIMA — After a two-decade wait, Nagaland will make history on Wednesday, June 26th, with the first-ever Urban Local Body (ULB) election featuring a 33% women’s reservation policy.

Polling will commence at 7:30 am across 25 ULBs, including three municipalities, spanning ten districts and close at 4 pm. Any voters who are in line at a polling station at the closing time will be allowed to cast their ballot.

The election will be conducted using paper ballots.

As per the State Election Commission, a total of 2,23,636 electors—1,10,115 male and 1,13,521 female—will decide the fate of  the 523 candidates in the fray in 214 wards, while 64 candidates have already been elected unopposed.

Notably, the eastern districts—Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang– have opted out of participation in this election, over the Ministry of Home Affairs’ delay in addressing issues related to the creation of Frontier Nagaland Territory.

The SEC has announced that voters will need to present valid identification at polling stations. Acceptable documents include an Indian Passport, driving license, Aadhaar card, service identity card issued by state/central government, public sector undertaking, or public limited company, bank/post office passbook with photograph, PAN Card, pension document with photograph, or an Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate issued by the Deputy Commissioner or Additional Deputy Commissioner.

Earlier, IGP (Range) and State Police Nodal Officer Limasunep Jamir informed that the state police has prepared a multi-layered security approach with the districts divided into 111 sectors, each with a sector commander and sector magistrate, supported by two sections of IRBs as ‘striking force’ to respond to any exigencies, besides other teams.

He informed that 229 polling stations have been categorised as hyper-sensitive, 209 sensitive, and 92 normal.

A total of 108 companies with 8,100 personnel, spanning 29 companies of NAPs, 38 IRB companies, 41 district executive force (DEF) companies, are deployed for security.

On Tuesday, polling personnel were dispatched to their designated polling stations with the ballot boxes and other necessary materials. The dispatch process was overseen by the Returning Officer, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) at Kohima, in the presence of an election observer.