The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has gained a seat in Nagaland after the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday reversed the result of the Tenning Assembly constituency. With this, the total number of seats in support of the alliance has gone up to 32 — one more than the majority mark of 31 in the 60-member Assembly.
An order signed on Sunday by EC Secretary Arvind Kumar said a tabulation error made by the Returning Officer on Saturday led to the declaration of N.R. Zeliang of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) as the winner of the Tenning constituency instead of Namri Nchang of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).
On Saturday, the ruling NPF and its allies won 30 seats; and the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), comprising the BJP and the NDPP, had secured 29 seats.
The correction on Sunday gives the PDA an edge as the alliance on Saturday had added the support of an Independent, and the lone winner from the Janata Dal (United), which had inked an alliance deal with the NPF and the National People’s Party (NPP) ahead of the counting day.
Wrong tabulation
N.R. Zeliang is the brother of Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, who has won the adjoining Peren Assembly constituency.
Mr. N.R. Zeliang, who polled 6,850 votes was wrongly declared as the winner in place of Mr. Nchang who had polled 7,018 votes, the order said, citing Article 324 of the Constitution to cancel the declaration of the result in favour of Mr. Zeliang.
The error occurred after the fourth round of counting on Saturday with the Returning Officer entering 824 votes in the tabulation sheet instead of 624. But the result had been declared by the time error was detected.
The NPP, a constituent of the BJP-led coalition in adjoining Manipur, is also expected to join the BJP-NDPP alliance.
“We are in a comfortable position to form the government and the NDPP-BJP alliance will stake claim to form the government soon,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said.