Nagaland Lok Sabha seat set for three-way showdown

KOHIMA: The lone Lok Sabha constituency from the Northeast state of Nagaland is poised for a three-way battle among candidates representing the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Congress, and an Independent contender.

The electoral contest in Nagaland will feature Chumben Murry of the NDPP, S Supongmeran Jamir from the Congress, and Independent candidate Hayithung Tungoe Lotha.

Chumben Murry, a former Nagaland minister, represents the NDPP-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), which currently governs Nagaland unopposed.

S Supongmeran Jamir, serving as the president of the Nagaland Congress and a former MLA, is venturing into parliamentary elections for the first time.

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Independent candidate Hayithung Tungoe Lotha is recognized as a social activist, politician and an entrepreneur.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the race included candidates from the NDPP, Congress, NPP, and an independent, resulting in NDPP nominee Tokheho Yepthomi clinching victory over Congress nominee KL Chishi by a margin of 16,344 votes.

Yepthomi also secured victory in the 2018 by-polls following the resignation of then-sitting member Neiphiu Rio, who assumed the role of the Nagaland chief minister.

The election for Nagaland’s sole Lok Sabha seat is scheduled for the initial phase of the seven-phase polls on April 19, with the results slated for announcement on June 04.