Witoubou Newmai The Clean Election Campaign (CEC) under the banner of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has gained momentum in the past few months. The endorsement from the civil society organizations, the common people and most recently from the media houses have given the virtual legitimacy to the campaign. It also serves as an ample supplement to the strategies of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for ‘free and fair elections’ campaign which over the years have become an inspiration for many states in India. In this regard, the campaign carried out by Mizoram People’s Forum (MPF), a forum constituted by the influential Mizoram Presbyterian Synod, can be taken as an ideal understudy. The 2013 assembly election of Mizoram, under the close scrutiny of MPF, was considered as the most peaceful and markedly ‘free and fair’ Assembly elections in the state by most observers. Incidentally, the NBCC’s ‘Nagaland Clean Election Campaign team had carried out a study tour to Mizoram during the 2013 Mizoram Assembly elections. Thus, it is pertinent to know how the church sponsored forum undertook the campaign and was comparatively successful in carrying out its mandate. During the 2013 election, the MPF practically assumed the role of an official poll watchdog, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with major political parties in the state. The MoU was nothing but ‘rules’ for co-operation by the political parties with the MPF – a concrete elaboration and expansion of ‘Dos and Don’ts’ directive issued to the political parties and the general public by the MPF in the 2008 assembly polls. Among other things, the 2008 directive asked the different stakeholders to refrain from grand feasting, distributing of money, and wild parties et al during the assembly elections. The 2013 MoU expanded and fortified it by including 27 ‘points/rules’ to be observed by different entities as a ‘Code of Conduct’ during the state election. One of the point stipulated that the political parties should only make an election manifesto which they could implement. Any political party that violates any points in the MoU was to be “invalidated” by the MPF. Besides it included other stringent rules including the assurance from every political parties that should try their best to have free and fair election; the condition that only the citizens of India should cast their votes; prohibiting political party from dropping the voters to their polling stations by means of a vehicle; and checking whether any person indulging in demanding money from the candidates and political parties. House to house campaign was allowed till 10 days before the election and "selling and buying" of votes were strictly prohibited and no candidate allowed from distributing materials. It further stated that no protest rally should be organised 10 days before the election and the number of banners, flags, posters by the political parties were fixed and limited. Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), Mizo Peoples Convention (MPC), Zoram National Party (ZNP), Mizo National Front (MNF) and the BJP signed the MoU with Mizoram People’s Forum for co-operation at Synod Committee Hall in Aizawl in 2013. Here in Nagaland, as the NBCC’s Clean Election Campaign gains momentum, a reflection on some of these points would hopefully ensure a comparatively different 2018 assembly election in the state.