Over 80 pc turnout in Nagaland bypolls, polling peaceful

Kohima

Over 80 per cent voting was recorded in the bypolls to the two Assembly seats in Nagaland on Tuesday amid adequate security measures and strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols, election officials said.

Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said that the by-elections in Southern Angami-1 seat in Kohima district and Pungro Kiphire constituency in Kiphire district passed without any major incident.

"Over 70 per cent of the 13,641 voters cast their ballots in Southern Angami-1 while 89.80 per cent of the 43,242 voters exercised their franchise in Pungro Kiphire," Sinha told IANS over phone.

"Security forces were deployed and Covid-19 protocols were enforced for smooth conduct of the by-polls," Sinha told the media.

The by-polls to Southern Angami-1 and Pungro Kiphire seats were necessitated following the deaths of the then Assembly Speaker Vikho-o Yhoshu and T. Torechu of the Naga People's Front, respectively.

The CEO said that as per the Election Commission guidelines, webcasting and static video recordings was done in all the polling booths to ensure free and fair elections.

Measures like as thermal screening, wearing face masks and hand gloves and sanitising to voters and demarcating polling areas to ensure social distancing were done, he added.

Ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate Medo Yhokha, opposition Naga People's Front's Kikovi Kirha and Independent candidate Seyievilie Peter Zashumo were contesting in Southern Angami-1.

Khaseo Anar of the Congress, BJP's Lirimong Sangtam and Independent candidates -- K Shellumthong, T. Yangseo Sangtam and Kiusumew Yimchunger -- were in the fray in Pungro-Kiphire.