Nagaland Bye-election: NDPP, NPF file complaints against each other

Kohima, November 3 (MExN): A scuffle reportedly broke out between the NPF and NDPP party workers at Jakhama Town – I polling station 12, which falls under the 14 Southern Angami Assembly Constituency, leading both parties to register complaints.

In a complaint issued by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) General Secretary Benjamin Lorin on November 3, the party claimed that “genuine voters of the polling station are not being allowed to enter the perimeter of the said polling station by the NPF party functionaries to cast their votes by forcefully restricting them at the National Highway.”

“Hundreds of voters were threatened and intimidated and disallowed to cast their votes,” it claimed. 

On receiving the information, it said that senior party leaders and elected representatives of the NDPP arrived at the location to assess the situation and meet with the designated magistrates in charge. However, the supporters and workers of the NPF party ‘forcefully evicted’ the NDPP leaders, hurling verbal abuses, even though the leaders were well outside the perimeter of the polling station, it claimed.

“While our leaders had not done anything to incite or create a situation, the NPF supporters had illegally made video recordings which have been made to go viral and at the same time verbally abused and evicted the leaders,” the party stated in its letter to the Kohima District Electoral Officer and Deputy Commissioner.

“Such malafide actions against respected leaders and elected members of the Assembly are punishable offences, especially the illegal videography,” it said, while demanding that re-poll be declared at the particular polling station as “normal electioneering process is not being allowed to proceed.”

It also demanded that the person who has ‘illegally video recorded’ be booked under relevant cyber laws and necessary actions initiated against those persons.

On the other hand, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) alleged that in the early hours of polling day, some of the top NDPP workers led by the party’s Working President Alemtemshi Jamir had gone to Jakhama “with an intention to disturb the peaceful environment of polling process,” which was followed by Pukhai, Advisor to the Government of Nagaland.

Later, another Advisor, Zhaleo Rio went to Jakhama town “with unidentified youths who are not an electorate of the 14- Southern Angami- I AC,” with the intention to disturb the peaceful polling process, it claimed.

The NPF alleged that “the ill motive of the NDPP is thoroughly exposed as some of their party officials including the elected members are indulging in creating chaos and commotion in the electioneering process.”

Stating that no elected members from other assembly constituencies are allowed to enter the parameter of any other assembly constituency on polling day, the NPF alleged that the NDPP legislators had violated the Election Code of Conduct and visited 14 Southern Angami-I.

“As such, when the said elected members themselves have violated the Election Code of Conduct, instead of demanding for re-poll, the said members should be dealt strictly with the provisions of law,” it stated.