Election results today: Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya on tenterhooks

AGARTALA /KOHIMA /SHILLONG: With counting of votes today, people in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya have their fingers crossed about the outcome of the assembly elections. Tripura went to the polls on February 18 and Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27.

Tripura chief electoral officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanta said the counting will begin at 8 am. He said, “There will be three layers of security to be maintained by personnel from Central paramilitary forces and Tripura State Rifles (TSR).” He said central forces will be deployed in areas near counting halls. In Nagaland, too, counting of votes for 59 seats will begin at 8am.

One of the seats, Northern Angami-II, has already been won by NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio unopposed. Nagaland CEO Abhijit Sinha said adequate security measures have been made in all counting halls. In Meghalaya, counting will be held in 13 centres located in the 11 district and two subdivisional headquarters amid tight security, said CEO FR Kharkongor. Fearing possible disturbances in some areas, state police have made extra security arrangements.

Contesting parties are expecting to give each other a tough fight in all the three states. In Tripura, some exit polls have already predicted a win for BJP and its ally, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), against the Left Front that has been ruling the state since 1993. According to exit polls, Nagaland may see a defeat of ruling NPF at the hands of BJP and NDPP.

They, however, have indicated a hung assembly in Congress-ruled Meghalaya, which often gives a fractured mandate in elections. Despite this, Congress is hoping for a good show in Meghalaya, which recorded a voter turnout of 84.8%.

Voting took place in 59 of the 60 seats after the election to the Williamnagar seat was countermanded following the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone Sangma allegedly by Garo National Liberation Army militants. In Nagaland, while NPF contested in 58 seats, NDPP in 40 seats and debutant National People’s Party (NPP) in 25 seats.

Congress has fielded candidates only in 18 seats, while BJP is contesting in 20 seats. Some of the key contestants are chief minister TR Zeliang (NPF), former CM KL Chishi (BJP), retired chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir (NDPP).

In Tripura, the most wellknown candidate is chief minister Manik Sarkar. Sarkar, who is seeking a fifth consecutive term in office, is regarded as one of India’s cleanest politicians. The other prominent candidates are Biplab Deb (BJP) and Birajit Sinha (Congress).

Meghalaya has a number of important candidates such as chief minister Mukul Sangma and NPP’s Agatha and James Conrad (daughter and son of former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma).