Vote counting for Nagaland ULB elections on Saturday

DIMAPUR — Counting of votes for the urban local body elections in Nagaland will begin at 8 am on Saturday.

The counting will be done in 16 centres across the state.

A total of 25 ULBs including three municipalities and 21 town councils went to polls on June 26, out of the 39 in the state.

Polling was not held in the 14 town councils spanning six districts in eastern Nagaland where the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation called for abstention from all state and central elections over issues pertaining to the demand for Frontier Nagaland Territory.

Notably, all the candidates from the Chiephobozou Town Council were elected unopposed, with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) winning all seats.

The ULB election was held for the first time with 33 per cent women reservation, with 523 candidates in the fray.

A total of 64 candidates were declared elected unopposed on the last day for withdrawal of nominations on June 18.

Political parties including the NDPP, Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), Rising Peoples’ Party, RPI (Athawale), Janata Dal (United), National People’s Party, Lok Janshakti Party, and the Nationalist Congress Party fielded candidates for the polls that were held after a gap of two decades.