Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Feb. 2 (EMN): The Nagaland election department has not recorded any nomination in all the 60 assembly constituencies for the forthcoming Feb. 27 assembly elections even as the period for filing nomination entered its third day on Fri.
With a conglomeration of civil bodies demanding a solution to the protracted Naga political issue before the assembly elections and 11 political parties signing a joint declaration not to issue party tickets or file nominations on Jan. 29, it would appear that none of the parties are eager to make the first move for fear of drawing fire from various quarters, even though the BJP has officially distanced itself from the declaration and announced on Thu. that it would be contesting the election.
The political parties have made it clear that while they supported the Naga solution demand, they would not stand by said declaration if any party goes ahead to participate in the coming elections. In such a case, they have stated that they also would join the fray.
Election department officials said it was unusual to have no nomination papers filed so far. They said that the popular demand by civil organizations for a ‘solution' before the elections could be the reason. They confirmed also that nomination forms were being collected.
The Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organizations (CCNTHCO) has convened a meeting with the presidents and office bearers of all the apex tribe hohos and civil society organizations on Feb. 3 11 am ‘to chart our course of action.’
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has informed that 53 companies of central armed police forces (CAPF) have arrived in the state as of Feb. 2 and five more are expected by Sat. The forces were received by the state police and were being deployed to different districts to conduct area domination duties. They include 18 CRPF companies, 10 RPF and five ITBP, 15 BSF, five SSB, and two (other) state armed police. A total 280 CAPF companies will be deployed across Nagaland for election duty.
4 ITBP personnel injured in Mon
Four personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were seriously injured when the truck they were travelling to Chen town under Mon district, for election duty, met with an accident at Chenmoho village at around 12.30 pm on Feb. 2. Sources said the injured were airlifted to Rangapahar Military Hospital in Dimapur with assistance from the Assam Rifles. Five others were reported to have sustained minor injuries and taken to Mon town hospital.
