Polling was underway for elections to 25 civic bodies in Nagaland on Wednesday morning, amid tight security arrangements, an 🧜SEC official said. This was a historic election in the northeaste♓rn state as the polling to three municipalities and 22 town councils was being conducted after a gap of 20 years.
The urban local body polls were bein⭕g held for the first time witꦫh 33 per cent women reservation, said the official at the Nagaland State Election Commission.
The government had announced elections to urban local bodies several times in the past but objections from tribal bodies and civil society organisations agaꩲinst reservation for women, and tax on land and properties had held back the polls.
Voting began at 7.30 am and will🙈 continue till 🎃4 pm.
"Polling has been peaceful so far. Security has been beefed up for the elections," the SEC officials said. Over 2.23 lakh voters, including 1,13,521 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 523 ca🌊ndidates from 11 political parties.
Instead of EVMs, voting was b๊eing conducted in 420 polling stations through ballot papers, he said
Meanwhile, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) has decided that the six districts 🔯in the region will not participate in the elections.
ENPO, the a💝pex body of seven Naga tribes living in the six eastern districts, has been demanding a 'Frontier Nagaland Territory', claiming that the region has been neglected for years.
There are 14﷽ town councils in the ENPO area. As many as 59 nominations were accepted from the area but the tribal bodies compelled the candidates to withdraw their nominations.
The ENPO also refrained from participating in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state.
