Nagaland ULB polls 2024: 19 more candidates withdraw nominations

DIMAPUR — The State Election Commission (SEC) has revealed that 19 more candidates have withdrawn their nominations on Saturday amid the ongoing discord surrounding the urban local body (ULB) elections, which is scheduled to be conducted on June 26 after nearly two decades.

This came a day after a total of 23 candidates, including 21 from Mon district, withdrew their nominations.

Also read: Nagaland ULB polls: 23 candidates withdraw nominations

In an update, the SEC informed that as many as 19 candidates — 17 from Shamator Town Council and two from Pungro Town Council in Kiphire district — withdrew their nominations on June 15.

This reduced the number of candidates in fray for the ULB to 616 from the initial 669.

It may be mentioned that several tribal organisations under the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) had earlier asked individuals, groups and political parties within their respective jurisdictions to abstain from participating or filing nominations for the upcoming civil polls, in line with the Chenmoho resolution of February 23 which was passed in connection with the demand for Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT).

However, many defied the resolution as a total of 61 candidates from the eastern districts filed nominations for the civic polls before they started withdrawing following explanation calls from tribal organisations about their decision.

Guidelines for identification of electors

Meanwhile, the SEC on Saturday notified the guidelines to presiding officers for identification of the electors during the upcoming election to three municipal and 36 town councils.

To exercise their franchise, it said the electors should produce any of the following documents: Indian passport; driving license; Aadhaar card; service identity card issued by the state/central government, public sector undertaking, public limited companies; bank/post office pass book with photograph; Pan card; pension document with photograph; and indigenous inhabitant certificate issued by the deputy commissioner/additional deputy commissioner.

The Commission clarified that ‘any documents which are available only for head of family will be allowed for the purpose of identification of other members of the family’. Similarly, any documents in the name of any other member of the family could also be used for identification of other members, provided the other members can be identified on the basis of such documents, it added.

Minor discrepancies in the electoral roll will ignored if “the identity of the elector can be established according to the particulars of electors appearing in the electoral roll and to the satisfaction of the Presiding Officer or Polling Officer”, updated the SEC.

Also read: Nagaland ULB polls: 23 candidates withdraw nominations