Guwahati: The National People’s Party (NPP) has demanded re-polling at polling stations in the Alichen area under Nagaland’s Koridang Assembly constituency, citing alleged voting irregularities and unusually low voter participation.
In its official representation to the Election Commission of India, the party pointed to what it described as a sharp and unusual decline in turnout in Alichen. As per figures quoted by the NPP, only 1,323 electors exercised their franchise out of 3,310 registered voters, translating to roughly 39.9 percent participation.
However, nearby polling locations reportedly saw much higher participation, with turnout levels ranging from over 70 percent to as high as 99 percent.
The party argued that Alichen alone contributed a major share of the votes that were not cast in the constituency, which it believes indicates a location-specific decline rather than normal variation. It also highlighted individual booths where participation reportedly dropped to about 15 percent and 23 percent.
The NPP further alleged that the deployment of security forces, especially personnel from the IRB, created an intimidating environment that discouraged voters from coming out. It also claimed that polling was interrupted for nearly an hour due to strict identity checks conducted by election officials, including observers and district administration staff.
The party added that no additional time was granted to make up for the lost polling period, which, according to it, adversely affected rural voters, women, senior citizens, and daily wage workers.
The party raised concerns that state-level administrative resources may have been improperly used, which it believes could have influenced the outcome in a closely fought seat. It has also submitted video evidence to back its claims and requested the election authorities to look into the matter.
Citing the constitutional guarantee of free and fair elections, the NPP has sought immediate intervention from the poll body, including the possibility of conducting fresh voting in the impacted polling stations.