Meghalaya, Nagaland Assembly polls 2023 updates | Nagaland reports 84.08% voter turnout, 76.27% in Meghalaya

A voter turnout of 76.27% was recorded in Meghalaya Assembly elections till 6 p.m., according to officials.

Nagaland has recorded 84.08% voter turnout as polling for the State Assembly polls concluded on Monday, as per ECI app.

Voter turnout of 81.94% was recorded in the Nagaland Assembly Elections till 5 p.m., according to ECI app, while it was 74.32% for Meghalaya.

Meghalaya has reported 63.91% voter turnout and Nagaland 73% at 3 p.m. - Rahul Karmakar

Nagaland has reported 60.51% voter turnout at 2 p.m.- Rahul Karmakar

Meghalaya BJP chief Ernest Mawrie on Monday cast his vote, exuding confidence that the people will send him to the Assembly again from West Shillong constituency.“I have the belief that with the love and support of the people, I will win this constituency again,” Mr. Mawrie told ANI on Monday.Of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Meghalaya, 36 constituencies fall in Khasi, Jaintia Hills region while 24 are in Garo Hills region.- ANI

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma cast his vote at Walbakgre -29 polling station in Tura, Garo Hills in the ongoing Assembly polls in the State and exuded confidence in the result being in his favour.He expressed satisfaction on the voter turnout in the polls and said that this was never seen in the past.“People coming out in large no. to vote. This is good for democracy. I’ve not seen this kind of voter turnout in the past. We are confident that it’ll be in our favour,” he said.- ANI

Voter turnout percentages recorded at 1 p.m. were as follows:

• Meghalaya- 44.73%
• Nagaland- 57.5%

Meghalaya registered a voter turnout of 26.7% in the Assembly elections till 11 am on Monday, with the polling process being largely peaceful so far, Chief Electoral Officer F. R. Kharkongor said.

“We have noticed enthusiasm among voters in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region and voting is picking up slowly in the Garo Hills, too. Long queues were seen at several polling stations,” Mr. Kharkongor told PTI.

He also said “no untoward incident” has been reported thus far.

“Malfunctioning of EVMs came to the fore at a few polling booths, but those were later fixed. Polling is being held in a free and fair manner,” the CEO said.- PTI

Nagaland reported 38.68% voter turnout till 11 a.m, as per the State’s Deputy CEO. Violence was reported at two polling stations in as many constituencies, but situation is under control, he said.

Similarly, Meghalaya reported voter turnout of 26.7% till 11.00 a.m.- Rahul Karmakar

Nagaland Chief Minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party candidate Neiphiu Rio cast his vote in the Kohima district in the ongoing Assembly polls in the State.

Mr. Rio is contesting from the Northern Angami-I seat in the Kohima district. He is up against Congress candidate Seyievilie Chachu for the seat.Earlier today, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton cast his vote from Riphyim Old III, 37 Tyui.The polling began in 59 Assembly constituencies at 7 am this morning amid tight security. The polling will continue till 4 pm.The polls would seal the electoral fates of 183 candidates across parties.- ANI

In an interview to The Hindu earlier this month, Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People’s Party (NPP) supremo Conrad K. Sangma said he is banking on the legacy of his father, former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma, a divided opposition and decisive governance for his NPP to perform better in the February 27 elections than in 2018.

As on 9.30 a.m., Meghalaya has recorded 12.06% voter turnout, while Nagaland recorded 15.5%, according to State poll offices- Rahul Karmakar

As on 9 a.m., Meghalaya has recorded 10.88% voter turnout, while Nagaland recorded 13.55%, according to State poll offices- Rahul Karmakar

The Election Commission of India had ordered the sealing of Meghalaya’s International border with Bangladesh till March 2.

Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya FR Kharkongor, told ANI that, Meghalaya’s International border with Meghalaya and the State border with Assam has been sealed.

“We have taken preventive measures to ensure a free and fair election in the State. Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed along the international bordering areas in the state,” Mr. Kharkongor said. Meanwhile, the District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills district on Friday issued an order that movement of individuals will remain strictly prohibited within a one km radius of the India-Bangladesh border of East Khasi Hills district from between 24-March 2.- ANI

Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton cast his vote from Riphyim Old III, 37 Tyui in the single-phased Assembly polls on Monday.Mr. Patton is contesting from Tyui.- ANI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged the people of Meghalaya and Nagaland to give change a chance as polling in the two northeast States was underway.

“People of Meghalaya and Nagaland are looking towards progressive, welfare-oriented governments,” Mr. Kharge said in a tweet.

“Welcome our first time voters to participate in this democratic process for a better future. Urge our sisters and brothers of Meghalaya and Nagaland to give change a chance,” he said.- PTI

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The UDP has been a part of every government since, barring the 2013-18 coalition phase led by Congress. The party had two more Chief Ministers — its founder E.K. Mawlong and Donkupar Roy — who did not last long.

But the party believes it could be in the driving seat this time and not just be a minor constituent of “more resourceful” rivals such as the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and its prime challenger, the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Party president Metbah Lyngdoh, also the Speaker of the 60-member Meghalaya House, expects the UDP to do better than the nine, 11, eight and six seats it won in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018, respectively. The UDP is banking on the confusion created by “too many entities” in the fray and its new-found image as a pan-Meghalaya party.

Elections to the 60-member Houses in Meghalaya and Nagaland began at 7 a.m. on February 27.

A total of 34.79 lakh voters would be electing 369 candidates vying for 59 seats in Meghalaya and 183 candidates fighting it out for 59 seats in Nagaland. In Meghalaya, the National People’s Party is the seeking to retain power on its own or with its allies in the current government although all the constituents, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, are contesting against each other.

Challenging its bid are the Trinamool Congress, contesting the Assembly elections for the first time, and Congress, which is eyeing a revival of fortunes after losing all its 21 MLAs to other parties.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and BJP combine hopes to retain power in Nagaland. The two parties approached the elections with a 40:20 seat-sharing arrangement in a State virtually without any opposition.

Congress and the Naga People’s Front, which was the single-largest party in 2018 with 26 seats, struggled to find candidates. A new entrant that could throw some surprises is the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).- Rahul Karmakar

This time around, these parties have invested heavily in the ‘winnability’ of their women candidates, unlike in the 13 past elections where women usually featured as an afterthought.

The parties insist that they have now focussed on the quality of the women candidates they are fielding rather than merely “going for optics” in order to “make the list more gender-balanced”.

The goal for the women candidates in this election is not merely to etch their names in Nagaland’s political history.

As the voting in 59 out of 60 Assembly constituencies is to be held today in Meghalaya, around 19,000 polling personnel have been stationed on poll duty.The officials have said that security arrangements have been beefed up for controlling the law and order situation in the State.“11 Zonal magistrates, 73 sector magistrates and nearly 30 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies have been deployed in the district for conducting the smooth election. Each polling team has four personnel. 30 CAPF companies have deployed in vulnerable and critical polling stations,” the Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills district told ANI on Sunday.The CEO of Meghalaya said that around 19,000 polling personnel and staff have been deployed in the election process.The Election Commission has deployed 119 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Meghalaya.Out of the total of 3419 polling stations, 640 have been identified as ‘vulnerable’, 323 are ‘critical’ and 84 are identified as both.- ANI

The Naga People’s Front (NPF) and Congress, two parties that ruled Nagaland for a combined 31 years, struggled to find candidates for the February 27 Assembly polls in the State. The former managed to field 22 candidates while the latter has 23 in the fray after two candidates withdrew, one of them helping the BJP’s Kazheto Kimini win the Akuluto constituency unopposed.

But the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which flew in a month ahead of the Nagaland polls, had it easy finding candidates. Almost all of its 16 candidates were denied tickets by the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and its minor ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Four of the LJP (RV) candidates are MLAs who switched over from the NPF to the NDPP in April 2022. Another candidate, Longrineken won the Jangpetkong constituency on a BJP ticket in 2018.