“Counting of votes for Nagaland’s municipal elections, held after two decades, began on June 29,” the official said.
“Counting of votes for 24 urban local bodies (three municipalities and 21 town councils) spread across 10 districts began at 8 am at 16 polling stations,” a state election commission official said.
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“The National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won in the Chiepobozow town council in Kohima. The party’s candidates won unopposed in all nine constituencies in the urban local body,” he said.
About 82 percent of the more than 223,000 eligible voters exercised their franchise in the June 26 municipal elections. Urban local body elections in the northeastern state were held for the first time with 33 percent reservation for women. The last elections were held in 2004.
The government had announced elections for urban local bodies several times in the past but postponed them due to opposition from tribal and civil society groups over reservation rights for women and taxation of land and property.
In total, 523 candidates from 11 parties contested. An additional 64 candidates were elected unopposed from civic bodies. Parties that contested the election included the NDPP, BJP, Indian National Congress, Naga People’s Front (NPF), New Bharatiya Janata Party, Republican Party of India (Ramdas Athawale), Janada Dal (United), National Bharatiya Party, National Congress Party and NPP.
Nagaland has a total of 39 town councils, but elections were not held in 14 urban local bodies in six districts in the eastern part of the state as tribal groups boycotted the polls.
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of seven Naga tribes from six eastern districts, claims the region has been neglected for years and is demanding the “Nagaland Frontier Territory”.
As many as 59 candidates were nominated from the region, but tribal groups forced them to withdraw their nominations.
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