High voter turnout in Nagaland civic polls despite boycott call

Kohima: In the face of a boycott call by the influential Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), over 80 per cent of the 2.76 lakh eligible voters cast their ballots in Nagaland's municipal elections on Wednesday (June 26).

The elections saw 523 candidates vying for positions in three municipal councils and 36 town councils, marking the first civic polls in Nagaland in 20 years.

Among the candidates, 198 women contested, highlighting a significant participation of female nominees in these long-awaited elections.

Nagaland State Election Commissioner (SEC) T John Longkumer confirmed the high voter turnout and the peaceful conduct of the elections across the state.

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However, in six eastern Nagaland districts, no votes were cast due to the ENPO's boycott call.

These districts—Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang—are home to seven Naga tribes demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland Territory.

Despite the boycott in these districts, the rest of the state saw robust participation, with no reported incidents of violence or disruption.

The Nagaland SEC reported that out of the total 418 wards in the urban civic bodies, 142 wards are reserved for women.