Mangmetong Village Council clears Imchatoba Imchen’s candidature after district administration intervention, allowing declaration programme in Mokokchung village.
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MOKOKCHUNG — Independent candidate for 28 Koridang (ST) Assembly Constituency, Imchatoba Imchen, who was initially barred from declaring his candidature at Mangmetong village on March 28, has now received clearance from the village council following intervention by the district administration.
Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Ajit Kumar Verma confirmed on Monday that the administration received a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Mangmetong Village Council on March 30, allowing Imchen to proceed with his declaration programme.
Verma said that Imchen had planned to announce his candidature at his native village on March 28, but the village council denied permission citing security concerns. On the same day, a letter circulated on social media—written in the local dialect on official letterhead—urged residents to uphold the ‘Mangmetong Yimkong Mungdang resolution’ of January 3, 2026, supporting a consensus candidate.
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Following complaints, the district administration dispatched a team to the village on March 28. Officials held discussions with the council and found no law-and-order issues in the area.
As the matter remained unresolved, the village council was summoned to the deputy commissioner’s office on March 29. During the meeting, the administration stated that obstructing a candidate’s declaration was illegal and directed the council to withdraw its earlier order in writing.
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The council clarified that its objection was based on security apprehensions and assured that all candidates would be allowed to campaign. It also agreed to issue written permission to Imchen and pledged full cooperation.
The council further expressed regret over issuing the earlier resolution letter and committed to withdrawing it, with copies to the district authorities.
Verma warned that use of official village council letterheads to support any candidate violates election guidelines and the Village Council Act, and would invite strict action. He added that the administration would provide adequate security and assistance to candidates, subject to compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).