Nagaland Assembly election result updates | Rio set to be chief minister for record fifth term

History was scripted in Nagaland on Thursday when the state elected its first women legislators in its 60 years of statehood.

The two women lawmakers - Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) are greenhorns in politics but defeated the sitting MLAs in Western Angami and Dimapur-III seats respectively. - PTI

It is a “historic day” for the Northeast and it is evident again that for peace, development and prosperity, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is people’s preference, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday after the declaration of results of the assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Thanking the people of Nagaland from the “bottom of my heart” for choosing peace and progress by re-electing the PM Modi-led NDA back in power, Mr. Shah said the duo of PM Modi and state CM Neiphiu Rio will continue to advance peace and development in the state and fulfil people’s aspirations.

“Congratulations to Deputy CM, Shri @YanthungoPatton, State President Shri @AlongImna, karyakartas of @BJP4Nagaland and our ally @NDPPofficial on this remarkable victory. A new dawn of prosperity begins in Nagaland,” he said. - PTI

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partner Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) crossed the majority mark by winning 37 seats in Nagaland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked the people of the state.

PM Modi said that the double-engine government will keep working for the state’s progress.

“I thank the people of Nagaland for blessing the @NDPPofficial-@BJP4Nagaland alliance with yet another mandate to serve the state. The double-engine government will keep working for the state’s progress. I laud our party workers for their hardwork which ensured this result,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

As the counting of votes for the Nagaland Assembly elections continues, the BJP and its alliance partner crossed the majority mark needed to form the government in the state. - ANI

Nagaland got its first two women MLAs, with Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse winning from the Dimapur-III and Western Angami, respectively in the 2023 election. Read this article and take a look at data in charts

Nagaland political stalwart and its longest serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio is set to assume office as chief minister for a fifth consecutive term after a convincing win for his party and its ally, the BJP.

Together, the two parties have secured 33 seats in the 60-member Nagaland assembly.

The septuagenarian leader has with this victory, broken the record of veteran leader S C Jamir, who helmed the northeastern state thrice.

Rio personally defeated Congress’ Seyievelie Sachu, a greenhorn in the political arena, in the Northern Angami II constituency, in the process helping emasculate the grand old party in the state where at one time it was entrenched. - PTI

The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance got majority in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly by winning 33 seats on Thursday, election commission said.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won 21 seats while its alliance partner got 12 seats, the EC said.

The NDPP-BJP had fought the elections on 40:20 seat sharing arrangement. - PTI

BJP’s Nagaland chief Temjen Imna Along wins Alongtaki constituency by defeating JD(U)’s J. Lanu longchar by a margin of 3,748 votes.

A leader of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland or NSCN (I-M) was held on Feb. 22 for allegedly asking people not to vote for Nagaland’s BJP president, Temjen Imna Along, who is seeking re-election from the Alongtaki Assembly constituency.

Officials said Lanuwati Jamir, the NSCN (I-M) leader of the State’s Ao region was picked up by the personnel of a paramilitary force on Feb. 22 night after a letter purportedly signed by him was circulated in villages under the Alongtaki constituency, directing the people not to vote for Mr. Along.

The letter said the State BJP chief had an “anti-Naga character” and was working for the RSS to make “Hinduism penetrate” Nagaland. It also warned of “stern action” against those who do not comply with the diktat.

Nagaland Chief Minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party candidate Neiphiu Rio won the Northern Angami-II Assembly constituency, trouncing Seyievilie Sachu of the Congress by a mammoth margin of 15,824 votes.

He bagged a total of 17,045 votes, which comes to 92.87% of the total votes polled in the seat. The ruling alliance of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 24 seats in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, as per the latest counting trends shared by the Election Commission (EC) at 3.30 p.m.

Mr. Rio, who switched to the Naga People’s Front (NPF) from Congress in 2002, became the Chief Minister for the first time in 2003 and carried on until he decided to step down and contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He won the State’s lone LS seat as the NPF candidate.

T.R. Zeliang replaced him as the Chief Minister of Nagaland.

Mr. Rio, now 72, tried to reclaim the Chief Minister’s chair in 2016 but the NPF cold-shouldered him. Ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections, he joined the NDPP and forged an electoral deal with the BJP, which was the NPF’s ally until then.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday exuded confidence that the ongoing Naga peace talks will reach a “meaningful convergence” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Resolution of the decades old Naga political issue is the top agenda of the NDPP-BJP government in the State, the Chief Minister had said at a rally on February 24.

Mr. Rio also extended full support to both the Centre and Naga political groups for a solution to the Naga peace talks. Read more

Seats won as of 2.15 pm: BJP - 2NDPP - 10NPP - 2RPI (A) - 2LJP (R-V) - 1NCP - 1Independent - 2

LJP (Ram Vilas) opens account with Sukhato A. Sema winning the Pughoboto seat defeating Y. Vikheho Swu of NDPP by 850 votes.

NDPP’s K.G. Kenye wins the Chizami seat defeating Kevechutso Duolo by 1,279 votes.

Away from home turf Meghalaya, the NPP bags Kohima Town seat with Tseilhoutuo Rutso defeating N. Nicky Kire of #NDPP by 1,342 votes.

Seats won: BJP - 2NDPP - 6NPP - 2RPI (A) - 2LJP (R-V) - 1Independent - 2

Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton on Thursday exuded confidence that the ruling NDPP-BJP alliance was on course to return to power in the State with a thumping majority.

Speaking to ANI after the early trends amid the ongoing counting of votes put the ruling alliance in a commanding lead over rivak players, Patton said, “As per the latest trends, our NDPP-BJP alliance is comfortably ahead and we are on course to return to power with a thumping majority under the leadership of our CM, Nephiu Rio.”

- ANI

“Society in Nagaland has been very patriarchal but the mindset is changing. This reflects in the time and energy the NDPP is spending on me and my fellow candidate, Salhoutuonuo Kruse contesting the Western Angami seat,” Hekani Jakhalu told The Hindu.

Her election ends Nagaland’s long wait for its first woman MLA. Read more

NDPP wins a 3rd seat in Nagaland as S. Kiusumew Yimchunger bags Pungro Kiphire by defeating T. Yangseo Sangtam of RPI (Athawale) by 2,291 votes.

Independent Neisatuo Mero wins the Pfutsero seat defeating Neiba Kronu of NDPP by 104 votes.

Hekani Jakhalu of NDPP creates history by becoming the first woman to be elected to the 60-member Nagaland Assembly. She defeated Azheto Zhimomi of LJP (Ram Vilas) by 1,536 votes to win the Dimapur-III constituency.

Y. Lima Onen Chang of RPI (Athawale) wins the Noksen seat in Nagaland. This is RPI (A)‘s second seat after Tuensang Sadar-II.

Seats won: BJP 2, NDPP 1, RPI (A) 2

S. Keoshu Yimchunger of NDPP wins Shamator Chessore constituency, Imtichoba of RPI (A) wins Tuensang Sadar-II seat in Nagaland.

This is the first time that the RPI (Athawale) has won Assembly seats in Nagaland. The party, an ally of the BJP at the Centre, contested 7 seats in the state

Seats won: BJP 2, NDPP 1, RPI (A) 1

The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance is leading in 32 seats in the Nagaland Assembly election as per early trends, the Election Commission of India said.

Counting of votes for the 59 Nagaland Assembly seats started at 8 a.m. with postal ballots followed by EVMs.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) was ahead in 22 seats while its alliance partner the BJP was leading in 10 seats. The NDPP and BJP fought the election on a 40:20 seat sharing agreement.

NDPP supremo and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was leading by over 8,400 votes against his nearest Indian National Congress party rival Seyievilie Sachu. He currently commands 92% of the cpunted votes.

P. Bashangmongba Chang of BJP has been declared winner from Tuensang Sadar-I seat in Nagaland. The BJP had won the Akuluto seat unopposed

Elections are low key in Nagaland, despite demands around statehood and autonomy. Read more

In all three constituencies in Nagaland’s biggest city, Dimapur, the BJP-NDPP alliance is ahead. In Dimapur-III though, the NDPP’s H. Jekhalu has a slender lead of just about 100 votes over A. Zhimomi from the LJP (R-V).

In capital Kohima, NPP’s Dr. Ato is ahead of NDPP’s Dr. Kire by about 950 votes.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio maintains his impressive lead over his nearest rival, clocking over 95% of the votes in his Angami-II constituency. Mr. Rio has 6,704 votes as against the Congress candidate’s 310.

In the Tyui constituency, Deputy CM Y. Patton leads with 10,403 votes (nearly 64% of total votes), while JD(U)‘s S. Lotha trails with 5,804 votes.

According to official figures by the Election Commission, the NDPP-BJP combine is leading in 22 of 35 seats counted so far, whereas the NCP is leading in 4 and the NPP in just one.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was leading in the Northern Angami II seat over his nearest rival Seyievilie Sachu of the Indian National Congress by over 3,709 votes, the EC website said.

Independents were leading in two seats, JD(U) was ahead in one seat.

Early trends show that the BJP and NDPP alliance is leading in 47 out of the 60 seats, according to NDTV.

India Today reports that the NDPP alliance leads in 36 seats, while News18 has the lead at 48 seats.

The NDPP and BJP had a pre-poll alliance and contested the elections on a 40:20 seat sharing basis.

Awan Konyak narrowly missed making history in 2018 when her Naga People’s Front (NPF) rival defeated her by 905 votes to bag the Aboi Assembly constituency. Four other women candidates that year were trounced.

But the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) believes that either or both of its women candidates in the February 27 Nagaland polls can succeed where Ms. Konyak failed – becoming the State’s first woman MLA.

So do the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, who have fielded one woman each.

The reason: 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. Read more

The “unknown” factor may make a political party from Bihar the dark horse in Nagaland.

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. Read more

Amid tight security, the counting of votes for Assembly elections in Nagaland began across the state at 8 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Election Commission.

-ANI