Kohima : Around 2.76 lakh voters will decide the electoral fate of 523 candidates in the ensuing elections to urban local bodies in the state. On June 26, elections will be held in three municipal councils and 36 town councils in the state after a gap of 20 years.

Addressing a press conference, State Election Commissioner (SEC) T John Longkumer said that in all, 670 nominations were received, out of which four were rejected after scrutiny, 79 were withdrawn and 64 candidates were elected unopposed.    

No candidate is contesting in the town councils in eastern Nagaland. This time a total of 2,76,229 voters, including 1,40,167 women and 1,36,062 men, are eligible to exercise their franchise.

The state has a total of 418 wards spread across the civic bodies, with 142 wards reserved for women.The parties contesting the elections are Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), BJP, Congress, Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), Rising Peoples’ Party, RPI (Athawale), JD(U) and LJP.

Voting will commence at 7.30 am and conclude at 4 pm under tight security arrangements made by Nagaland Police.    

On allegations of a Congress candidate in Dimapur being forced to withdraw nomination by a sitting BJP MLA, Longkumer said the commission has received a formal complaint and has written to the deputy commissioner and returning officer of Dimapur on the matter.

He appealed to everyone to participate in the elections peacefully and ensure free and fair polls. On the use of ballot papers, SEC secretary L Jamithung Lotha said the EC did not give permission to use EVMs for the civic polls.

Longkumer said that Nagaland had a shortage of ballot boxes but Arunachal Pradesh helped mitigate it.

State police nodal officer Limasunep Jamir said altogether, elections will be held in 278 wards in 10 districts. There will be a total of 530 polling stations, of which 229 have been categorised as hyper-sensitive and 209 as sensitive.

He said that 108 companies of state security forces, including 41 companies of District Executive Force (DEFs), 29 companies of Nagaland Armed Police and 38 of Indian Reserve Battalion, totalling to 8,100 personnel would be deployed.

“We will take all measures within the law to ensure that no one vitiates the peaceful atmosphere in the state,” he asserted while expressing confidence that the ULB polls will be peaceful.    

SEC secretary Wonchio Odyuo said that all preparations have been made and training of polling personnel completed.