Kohima: Nagaland scripted history on Saturday by electing 102 women out of 278 seats to its civic bodies in the recently held urban local body polls, which was conducted after two decades of issues and litigation surrounding quota for women and property taxation. Eight women won from unreserved seats.
The civic polls held on June 26 were the first to be held after 2004, implementing 33% reservation for women.
“Naga women, this was your election. Congratulations!” state election commissioner T John Longkumer said following the declaration of poll results on Saturday.
Rosemary Dzüvichu, a women’s rights activist who spearheaded the case for women’s reservation in Nagaland, acknowledged that the Supreme Court was instrumental in making the municipal election with quota for women possible. She also acknowledged the role of the People’s Union of Civil Liberties, which filed a public interest litigation in the apex court in the matter.
Polling for the 24 urban local bodies — three municipal councils and 21 town councils — across 10 districts was held on Wednesday. As much as 81% of over 2.23 lakh voters exercised their franchise.
As per late updates received from the SEC, both the youngest and the oldest candidates to be elected overall were women.
The youngest candidate, 22-year-old Nzanrhoni I Mozhui, a Bharatiya Janata Party nominee from Bhandari town council under Wokha district, shone through with hopes of improving governance. Following her win on Saturday, Mozhui said that she is grateful to her family and ward members for their confidence in her.
Initially, 238 women had filed nominations, but 23 of them from the eastern region withdrew in view of a poll boycott call by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) over the pending creation of autonomous Frontier Nagaland Territory. Six districts with a total of 14 town councils where ENPO has influence did not participate in the polls.
The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party won the highest number of seats with 153, followed by 56 independents, BJP with 25 and 44 others representing different political parties.
