The Opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) has alleged “unprecedented proxy-voting and booth-capturing” by ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) rocketing the overall voting percentage despite low voters turnout.
However, the NPF Legislature Party at a meeting at the residence of its leader T.R. Zeliang in Kohima claimed that the genuine voters in the state, though lesser in number, had voted for NPF candidate C. Apok Jamir.
The party also congratulated Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate Yepthomi for winning the Lok Sabha by-election and hoped that he will fulfil the expectations of the electorate who supported him.
The by-election to the Nagaland parliamentary constituency was held on May 28 and the results were declared on Thursday. Out of a total of 11, 97,436 electorates, 10, 14,664 cast their votes while 3,991 opted for none of the above (NOTA) option and three votes were tendered.
PDA candidate Yepthomi defeated NPF’s Jamir by 1, 73,746 votes. Yepthomi polled 5, 94,205 votes while Jamir secured 420459 votes. The bypoll was necessitated after chief minister and NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio resigned from the Lok Sabha in February to contest the Assembly election.
The NPF Legislature Party, in a resolution, reiterated that final settlement of the Indo-Naga political issue will continue to be its topmost priority and the same will be manifest and pursued by NPF with utmost sincerity and commitment until the issue is brought to its logical conclusion.
In another resolution, the NPF condemned chief minister Rio’s assertion that the NPF was divided into three groups, and asserted that the party remains united under the “dynamic leadership” of its president Shurhozelie Liezietsu and Zeliang.
Meanwhile, chief minister Rio said the NDPP candidate’s victory in the bypoll was an indication of the people’s trust in the PDA government to deliver the goods.
Felicitating Yepthomi in Kohima on Thursday evening, Rio alleged that the NPF had based its entire campaign on false propaganda to woo the people, but failed to fool them. He declared that the winning margin of over 1.73 lakh votes was a thumping victory for the PDA and attributed the win to everyone for their effort.
The chief minister acknowledged the voters for believing in the alliance and his leadership and urged everyone to work together in the same spirit of unity to help his government implement its manifesto and the common minimum programme.