Approximately 2.76 lakh voters are set to determine the outcome of urban local body elections in Nagaland, where 523 candidates will vie for seats across three municipal councils and 36 town councils on June 26, marking the first such elections in two decades.
Addressing a press briefing, State Election Commissioner (SEC) T John Longkumer highlighted that a total of 670 nominations were filed, with 64 candidates elected unopposed after scrutiny. Notably, no candidates are contesting in the town councils of eastern Nagaland.
This election will see 2,76,229 eligible voters, including 1,40,167 women and 1,36,062 men, casting their ballots across 418 wards, including 142 reserved for women. Contesting parties include the NDPP, BJP, Congress, NPF, Rising Peoples’ Party, RPI (Athawale), JD(U), and LJP.
Voting will commence from 7:30 am to 4 pm under strict security measures by the Nagaland Police. Amid allegations of candidate intimidation, Longkumer assured that the Election Commission is investigating complaints to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
Ballot papers, not EVMs, will be used due to logistical reasons, with additional ballot boxes sourced from Arunachal Pradesh to accommodate the demand. Security arrangements will involve 108 companies of state security forces, totalling 8,100 personnel, to oversee 530 polling stations categorized based on sensitivity.
SEC secretary Wonchio Odyuo affirmed that all necessary preparations, including training for polling personnel, have been completed to ensure a smooth and fair conduct of the ULB polls in Nagaland.
