Nagaland: Today marks a historic day for Nagaland as the state conducts its first civic body elections in two decades. The voting will commence at 7:30 am and conclude at 4 pm, with the results to be announced on June 29.
This election is significant not only because it is the first one in 17 years, but also because it includes 33% reservation for women, making it the first-ever municipal election in Nagaland to do so. The state has three municipal councils and 36 town councils and will see a total of 523 candidates from 11 political parties vying for 214 wards. A total of 2,23,636 people, including 1,10,115 male and 1,13,521 female, will cast their ballots in this election. The parties contesting include BJP, NDPP, Congress, Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), RPI (Athawale), Rising Peoples’ Party, JD(U), NCP, LJP, and NPP. The voting will take place across 420 polling stations, categorized as hyper-sensitive, sensitive and normal.
In a departure from the usual practice of using electronic voting machines (EVMs), this election will be conducted using ballot papers. With high stakes for all parties involved and the added element of women’s representation in local governance, the Nagaland civic body polls have garnered significant attention and are expected to shape the future of the state’s local governance system.
