Page 3 - Assembly Elections

Women's group gears up to restrict liquor supply during Nagaland polls

Nagaland is a dry state but with the February 27 Assembly election campaign gaining momentum, a women's organisation in Phek district has set up check-gates to restrict the flow of liquor offered as inducement to voters in the district during the poll process. Phek is occupied by Chakhesang and Pochury tribes having five assembly constituencies with four seats in Chakhesang area and also has some villages in Meluri constituency of the Pochury tribe. Concerned about the ill effects of liquor and also liquor offered as inducement during Assembly elections, the womenfolk of the Chakhesang Naga tribe under the Chakhesang Mothers' Association (CMA) have put up around 100 check-points in their area, Zhonel Tunyi, president of CMA, the apex body of womenfolk for Chakhesang community in Phek district told PTI here. "During elections the flow of liquor as inducement is very high while many people get into physical fights and clashes in support of candidates becoming enemies and even leading

Top BJP leaders including Rijiju to campaign in poll-bound Nagaland

Top BJP leaders, including Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Sarbananda Sonowal, and the party's BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh, will campaign for the February 27 elections in Nagaland on Friday. Law Minister Rijiju will address a rally at Longwa public ground, and later attend meetings in Phomching and Tizit constituencies in the Mon district, state BJP media cell convenor Sapralu said on Thursday. Ports Minister Sonowal, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, will address public rallies at Wokha and Mon town, she said. Santhosh will visit Tuensang, Mokokchung and Zunheboto, she added The BJP is fighting the assembly election in Nagaland in alliance with the ruling NDPP. While the BJP is contesting 19 seats, the NDPP is fighting in 40 seats. The BJP has already won the Akuluto seat in Zunheboto district without a contest.

Assembly poll: Union Minister Athawale addresses election rally in Nagaland

Union Minister and RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale addressed a poll rally on Monday at Tsemenyu district, Nagaland, for the party's candidate Ar Loguseng Semp

Ahead of assembly elections, police beefed up security across Nagaland

Ahead of the upcoming Nagaland assembly polls, Nagaland Police has beefed up security and patrols across the state

BJP broke alliance in Meghalaya to contest all seats, become stronger: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya so that it can contest all 60 assembly seats and emerge stronger. Addressing an election rally in the North Tura constituency, he appealed to the people to vote for the BJP, promising to end corruption in the state. "Due to mismanagement and corruption in the state, in 2022-23, the deficit was Rs 1849 crore. It's a huge amount for a small state like Meghalaya. As per an RBI report, Meghalaya is developing at the slowest pace in the country," he said. "Make BJP a strong party in the state and we will end corruption," he told the rally. The BJP, which was part of the NPP-led MDA government, is contesting all 60 seats in the February 27 elections. "We broke alliance (with NPP) in Meghalaya so that the BJP can contest all the seats and emerge as a strong party," he said. Listing the development initiatives taken by the Centre for the region, he said the PM-DevINE sch

Meghalaya govt denied permission for PM Modi's rally in Tura: BJP

BJP national secretary Rituraj Sinha on Sunday questioned the National People's Party govt in poll-bound Meghalaya for denying permission for holding a rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tura.

Meghalaya man arrested for sharing video of EVM that showed votes go to BJP

A man was arrested in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district for allegedly sharing a video on social media which purportedly showed that any button pressed on an EVM leads to a vote in favour of the BJP, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) FR Kharkongor said on Saturday. The man, identified as Bolong R Sangma, had on February 16 shared the clip, alleging that EVMs were manipulated, he said. Sangma was arrested after the returning officer of Rongjeng assembly constituency filed a police complaint, he added. A case was filed against him under IPC section 171G, which deals with false statement in connection with an election, Kharkongor said. EVMs or electronic voting machines are tamper-proof and go to factory reset mode if any manipulation is attempted, he said, adding that numerous safeguards are present at every level.

VPP to review border pact with Assam if elected to power: Manifesto

The Voice of the People, a new political party in Meghalaya would review the inter-state boundary MoU signed with Assam and will root out corruption in the state, if elected to power in the February 27 assembly election, the party manifesto said. The Voice of People (VPP) was formed by former MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit. The party will root out corruption and would also institute CBI inquiry into the alleged scams and excesses of the National People's Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, it said. Releasing the party's manifesto on Monday here, Basaiawmoit said the VPP would review the interstate boundary border agreement signed with Assam last year and would pressurise the Government of India to put the state under the umbrage of special protective provisions of Article 371 of the Constitution of India. "In order to safeguard the indigenous tribal cultures and customs, the party is committed to pursue and pressurise the Government of India for extension of the special ..

Over 81% turnout in Tripura polls, several incidents of violence reported

A total of 69.96 per cent of 28.13 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the Tripura assembly elections till 3 pm on Thursday, with polling largely being peaceful amid sporadic incidents of violence, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao said. At least three people, including a CPI(M) leader and two polling agents of the Left party, were injured in separate incidents of violence during the polling. The exercise began at 7 am and is scheduled to continue till 4 pm. "A large number of voters were seen queuing in front of polling stations since morning to exercise their franchise. The polling process has largely remained peaceful amidst tight security," he told reporters. "A total of 69.96 per cent voting was recorded till 3 pm. It will be a challenge to complete the process by 4 pm as we expect a huge turnout at the end of the day," he added. Noting that free and fair elections are being conducted, the CEO said the ECI has ensured the entry of more than one ..

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Tripura Assembly election: 45 candidates crorepatis, says report

Of the 259 hopefuls contesting the Tripura Assembly polls, 45, or 17%, are crorepatis

Newsmaker: Meet Pratima Bhoumik, BJP's candidate from Dhanpur seat

The BJP is banking on Tripura's first Union minister and its very own 'Didi' to breach the 'red fort' that has been impregnable since 1972

Nagaland elections: EC finds nomination of over 200 applicants invalid

The Election Commission, after scrutiny of all nomination papers, has found 22 of the 222 applications invalid in Nagaland, a senior official said. A total of 225 aspirants had filed papers for the February 27 elections, but three of them later withdrew from the contest, the official said. Four women are among the 200 candidates whose papers were found to be valid, he stated. At least 13 parties including the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Naga People's Front (NPF), the Congress, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), the National People's Party (NPP), Janata Dal (United), Republican Party of India (Athawale), Nationalist Congress Party, Rising People's Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and CPI have nominated candidates for the polls. More than 20 Independents are also in fray. Friday is the last of date for withdrawing nomination. Votes will be counted on March 2.

Nagaland polls: Only 6 candidates file nominations, deadline tomorrow

A total of only six candidates have submitted their nominations so far for the February 27 Nagaland assembly polls, an official said. The deadline for nomination submission is Tuesday. Of the six, two are from the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and one from its ally, the BJP. There are also two Independents, while one contestant belongs to the Rising People's Party, a new entrant in Nagaland politics, the official said. The NDPP and the BJP are contesting on a 40:20 seat-sharing arrangement in their bid to return to power for the second time in a row in the northeastern state. The Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) has announced 22 candidates, and the Congress released the names of 25 nominees so far. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), National Peoples' Party and the Nationalist Congress Party have also named their candidates. Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 27.

Assembly Election: HM Amit Shah to address rallies in Tripura today

Shah will address two election rallies at Khowai in the Khowai district and Santirbazar in the South Tripura district. The Union Minister will also join a road show in Agartala city today

No proposal to use remote voting machine in upcoming election: Rijiju in LS

There is no proposal to use the remote electronic voting machine (RVM) in the "upcoming election" in the country and it is also not proposed for the use of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Responding to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a written reply that according to the Election Commission (EC), it has "not proposed to introduce the RVM for the upcoming election in the country". Several assembly polls are due this year, while the Lok Sabha elections will be held in 2024. The minister said the EC has also informed that the RVM is not proposed for the use of NRI voters. Rijiju noted that public sector unit Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), under the guidance of the EC and the Technical Expert Committee of the poll panel, has developed a prototype of the Multi Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine. The EC, he said, had circulated a concept note to all national and state political

Assembly polls 2023: Economic snapshots of 3 poll-bound northeastern states

Let us analyse the economic issues and present a brief political scene of the poll-bound states of Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya

BJP releases list of 54 candidates for Tripura Assembly elections on Feb 16

The BJP on Saturday announced the names of its 54 candidates for the February 16 Tripura Assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Manik Saha from Town Bordowali and Union minister Pratima Bhoumik from Dhanpur again. Party leaders Anil Baluni and Sambit Patra named 48 candidates at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here and another list of six more was released later. The seats included some where the party's ally and tribal outfit Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) had contested last time. In Agartala, Chief Minister Manik Saha announced the seat-sharing deal with IPFT which has been allocated five constituencies, four less than what it got in the 2018 polls. Saha told a press conference that the BJP will contest in 55 constituencies. The IPF's power has considerably waned with the rise of TIPRA Motha - a regional party founded by former Congress leader and royal scion Pradyot Deb Barman. The BJP had reached out to the TIPRA leadership for a tie-up but the regiona

AAP to contest in 'as many seats as possible' in Nagaland assembly polls

The Aam Aadmi Party will contest in as many seats as possible in the upcoming Nagaland assembly polls, its Northeast In-Charge Rajesh Sharma said. He also said that former MLA Asu Keyho has been made the president of the Nagaland unit of AAP. Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 27. We will contest in as many seats as possible and there will be no pre-poll alliance, Sharma told a press conference here. Time has come for the people of Nagaland to vote for good governance, honest politics and and overall development of the state with the elimination of corruption, he said on Wednesday evening. Sharma also expressed hope that the party will go to the grassroots to bring the required change in the political scenario of Nagaland. Keyho said people of the northeastern state want an AAP government, as the Nagas in Delhi, whether studying or working, have witnessed what good governance and fulfilment of promises mean under the Arvind Kejriwal government there. AA

Siddaramaiah won't contest Assembly polls from Kolar, claims Yediyurappa

Senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa on Monday claimed that Congress leader Siddaramaiah was allegedly playing a drama by saying he would not contest the Assembly polls from Kolar segment as announced, and may go back to his home district of Mysuru instead. Ending speculation, Siddaramaiah had earlier this month announced that he would be contesting the polls from Kolar, if the party high command agrees. "Today itself I will say one thing, don't think I'm making a prediction, Siddaramaiah will not contest from Kolar for any reason, he is playing a drama and is trying to go back to Mysuru," Yediyurappa said. Speaking to reporters here, the former Chief Minister said the Congress legislature party leader is aware that he would face a defeat and have to go home, if he contests from Kolar. "He is playing political circus and drama, according to me, he will not contest from there (Kolar) and may try to go back to Mysuru, if that happens we will do the strategy we need to," he added. Asked