Dimapur, Feb 20 (MExN): The Tuensang Deputy Commissioner rejecting BJP candidate Y Wongto’s nomination papers for contesting the 54 Tuensang Sadar-II A/c seat, was purely on technical grounds and not any ‘deep-rooted conspiracy’. Defective papers were the result of his papers being rejected, Tuensang DC Abhijit Sinha clarified.
Rubbishing the tirade of the State BJP against the rejection of its candidate, DC Abhijit Sinha, who is also the Returning Officer for the bye-elections in Tuensang, clarified that Wongto’s papers were rejected because a signature specimen from the national party level endorsing his nomination was missing. The DC explained that a candidate has to submit two forms i.e., Form A and Form B. The endorsing signature specimen was missing and not compliant with one of the two appending forms. Further the due date for filing nomination was overdue (February 19) and since it was ‘late’, norms stipulated that Wongto could now file his papers only as an independent candidate and not as a party-endorsed candidate.
Also reacting to the charge that the DC and his bodyguards “manhandled” the BJP’s Election Observer’, one Kughavi Achumi, Sinha said no such action took place. Achumi was only ejected from the office and not manhandled as alleged by the BJP, according to the DC. When the papers were refused since it was overdue (around 3 pm), the BJP’s Election Observer began protesting “the treatment”. He was ejected from the office when he proceeded “shouting” in protest, Sinha clarified. Further on the claims of the BJP that Achumi is missing “after the police assaulted”, DC Sinha assured that after being removed from the office premises, the observer left for Kohima and “never missing”.
