The four-day-long incessant rains throughout Nagaland has caused floods in Dimapur district and the rainfall has claimed two lives in two separate incidents in Dimapur and Phek districts, which has also caused extensive damage in many parts of the state.

The residents of Domokhia village found their houses submerged in knee-deep waters. The rains still continue to lash the higher reaches of the state.

On Diwali, the civil administration requisitioned the services of the Army and Assam Rifles to rescue the stranded villagers.

The combined team of Assam Rifles, Army and Civil administration reached the spot by afternoon and by evening all locals were evacuated safely to the relief camp established at the government school in the village on Sunday.

The locals were provided food by the troops of Assam Rifles and the relief camp was provided lighting arrangements and drinking water facilities too.

(With inputs from ANI)

The four-day-long incessant rains throughout Nagaland has caused floods in Dimapur district and the rainfall has claimed two lives in two separate incidents in Dimapur and Phek districts, which has also caused extensive damage in many parts of the state.

The four-day-long incessant rains throughout Nagaland has caused floods in Dimapur district and the rainfall has claimed two lives in two separate incidents in Dimapur and Phek districts, which has also caused extensive damage in many parts of the state. The residents of Domokhia village found their houses submerged in knee-deep waters. The rains still continue to lash the higher reaches of the state. On Diwali, the civil administration requisitioned the services of the Army and Assam Rifles to rescue the stranded villagers. The combined team of Assam Rifles, Army and Civil administration reached the spot by afternoon and by evening all locals were evacuated safely to the relief camp established at the government school in the village on Sunday. The locals were provided food by the troops of Assam Rifles and the relief camp was provided lighting arrangements and drinking water facilities too. (With inputs from ANI)

Incessant rains trigger floods in Nagaland, claim 2 lives

An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the eastern region of Myanmar on Monday morning, which caused tremors in Nagaland.

The quake in Myanmar took place at around 8:19 am at a depth of 80 km, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

No casualty or damage to property was reported.

Tremors measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale were felt in Nagaland.

The quake occurred at around 8:20 am, 132 km east of Tuensang in Nagaland, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

Nagaland is prone to earthquakes.

An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the eastern region of Myanmar on Monday morning, which caused tremors in Nagaland. The quake in Myanmar took place at around 8:19 am at a depth of 80 km, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the eastern region of Myanmar on Monday morning, which caused tremors in Nagaland. The quake in Myanmar took place at around 8:19 am at a depth of 80 km, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). No casualty or damage to property was reported. Tremors measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale were felt in Nagaland. The quake occurred at around 8:20 am, 132 km east of Tuensang in Nagaland, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). Nagaland is prone to earthquakes.

Earthquake hits eastern Myanmar, tremors felt in Nagaland

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far.

The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes.&nbsp;

Tremors were also felt in some parts of Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland among other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property.

Meanwhile, at least 37 people have lost their lives till now in floods and two landslide incidents in Assam. Approximately 53,52,107 people have been affected in 4,128 villages across 28 districts of the state. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far. The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes.

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far. The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes. Tremors were also felt in some parts of Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland among other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property. Meanwhile, at least 37 people have lost their lives till now in floods and two landslide incidents in Assam. Approximately 53,52,107 people have been affected in 4,128 villages across 28 districts of the state. (With inputs from agencies)

Earthquake hits Arunachal Pradesh; tremors felt in Assam, Nagaland

The armies of India and Myanmar carried out a three-week-long coordinated operation from May 16 in their respective border areas, targeting several militant groups operating in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam, defence sources said on Sunday.

India, Myanmar armies target militants of north-eastern states in coordinated operation

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting of votes for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland and by-election to Aonglenden Assembly constituency on Thursday, a top election official has said.

Polling for the Lok Sabha seat and Aonglenden bye-poll was held simultaneously on April 11.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Abhijit Sinha said on Tuesday that there would be three-tier security cordon on the day of counting.

The first and second tier security cordon would be manned by the district executive force, state police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel and the third and last tier close to the counting hall would be manned by Central Armed Police Force personnel, he said.

The path that would be taken for transportation of EVMs from the strong rooms to the counting halls have been delineated and barricaded and it would be under CCTV coverage, the CEO said.

The counting will commence at 8 am on Thursday in 19 halls in 12 centres for the Lok Sabha polls while counting of votes for the bye-poll will be&nbsp; 
conducted in one hall in Mokokchung district, he said.

The CEO said after completion of last round of counting of votes recorded in the EVM control units of an Assembly segment, there would be mandatory verification of VVPAT paper slips of randomly selected five polling stations of that Assembly segment.

These five polling stations would be selected through a draw of lots by the concerned Assistant Returning Officer in the presence of candidates or their agents and the Observers and counting of VVPATs would be done in a sequential manner.

The lone parliamentary seat in the state witnessed a four-cornered contest between ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) nominee Tokheho Yepthomi, Congress candidate K L Chishi, Hayithung Tungoe of the National People's Party (NPP) and Independent candidate Dr M M Thromwa Konyak.

Tokheho is seeking re-election for the Lok Sabha seat.

The bye-poll to Aonglenden Assembly constituency under Mokokchung district was a straight contest between the Congress nominee Alemjongshi Longkumer and Sharingain Longkumer of ruling NDPP.

The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of sitting ruling MLA Imtikumzuk in September last year.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting of votes for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland and by-election to Aonglenden Assembly constituency on Thursday, a top election official has said.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the counting of votes for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland and by-election to Aonglenden Assembly constituency on Thursday, a top election official has said. Polling for the Lok Sabha seat and Aonglenden bye-poll was held simultaneously on April 11. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Abhijit Sinha said on Tuesday that there would be three-tier security cordon on the day of counting. The first and second tier security cordon would be manned by the district executive force, state police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel and the third and last tier close to the counting hall would be manned by Central Armed Police Force personnel, he said. The path that would be taken for transportation of EVMs from the strong rooms to the counting halls have been delineated and barricaded and it would be under CCTV coverage, the CEO said. The counting will commence at 8 am on Thursday in 19 halls in 12 centres for the Lok Sabha polls while counting of votes for the bye-poll will be conducted in one hall in Mokokchung district, he said. The CEO said after completion of last round of counting of votes recorded in the EVM control units of an Assembly segment, there would be mandatory verification of VVPAT paper slips of randomly selected five polling stations of that Assembly segment. These five polling stations would be selected through a draw of lots by the concerned Assistant Returning Officer in the presence of candidates or their agents and the Observers and counting of VVPATs would be done in a sequential manner. The lone parliamentary seat in the state witnessed a four-cornered contest between ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) nominee Tokheho Yepthomi, Congress candidate K L Chishi, Hayithung Tungoe of the National People's Party (NPP) and Independent candidate Dr M M Thromwa Konyak. Tokheho is seeking re-election for the Lok Sabha seat. The bye-poll to Aonglenden Assembly constituency under Mokokchung district was a straight contest between the Congress nominee Alemjongshi Longkumer and Sharingain Longkumer of ruling NDPP. The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of sitting ruling MLA Imtikumzuk in September last year.

Lok sabha polls 2019: Tight security arrangements for counting of votes in Nagaland

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution.&nbsp;

A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Sunday.

The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland.&nbsp;

It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides.

The Cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the citizenship bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states.

The state Cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected.

The Cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly.

The release stated that as per the Cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said.

The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371 (A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any Parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said.

The citizenship bill provides for according Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years currently, even if they do not possess any document.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the citizenship bill is not applicable to the state as it is protected under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution. A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Rio, on Friday asserted that the state is protected under provisions of Article 371 (A) and the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) of 1873, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Sunday. The article deals with special provisions with respect to Nagaland. It states that no act of Parliament with respect to religious or social practices of the Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the state unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides. The Cabinet deliberated on the matter in view of the citizenship bill being passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and its consequent impact on Nagaland and other north-eastern states. The state Cabinet, during the meeting, also decided to appeal to the Centre to have wider consultations with all north-eastern states to ensure that rights of indigenous people are fully protected. The Cabinet decided to re-affirm all provisions of Article 371 (A) and to strengthen the implementation of the ILP as per BEFR of 1873 that will also be taken up in the next session of the state assembly. The release stated that as per the Cabinet decision, the chief minister has also written a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, conveying the concern and apprehension of the people of Nagaland regarding the bill, the release said. The letter says the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, even if enacted, will not be applicable to Nagaland in view of the Article 371 (A) that guarantees the Nagas their way of life un-interfered by any Parliamentary enactment, unless the Legislative Assembly by a resolution so decides, it said. The citizenship bill provides for according Indian citizenship to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India, instead of 12 years currently, even if they do not possess any document.

Citizenship bill not applicable to Nagaland as state protected under Article 371(A): CM to Rajnath Singh

The entire state of Nagaland has been declared "disturbed area" for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice.

In a notification, the Home Ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civilian power is necessary.

"Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of 1958), the central government hereby declares that whole of the said state to be a 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 30th December, 2018, for the purpose of that Act," the notification said.

A home ministry official said the decision to continue the declaration of Nagaland as "disturbed area" has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various parts of the state which necessitated the action for the convenience of the security forces operating there.

There have been demands from various organisations in the Northeast as well as in Jammu and Kashmir for repealing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which, they say, gives "sweeping powers" to security forces.

The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades. It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R N Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The framework agreement came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years with the first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The entire state of Nagaland has been declared "disturbed area" for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice.

The entire state of Nagaland has been declared "disturbed area" for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice. In a notification, the Home Ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civilian power is necessary. "Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of 1958), the central government hereby declares that whole of the said state to be a 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 30th December, 2018, for the purpose of that Act," the notification said. A home ministry official said the decision to continue the declaration of Nagaland as "disturbed area" has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various parts of the state which necessitated the action for the convenience of the security forces operating there. There have been demands from various organisations in the Northeast as well as in Jammu and Kashmir for repealing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which, they say, gives "sweeping powers" to security forces. The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades. It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R N Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The framework agreement came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years with the first breakthrough in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland.

Entire Nagaland declared 'disturbed' for six more months under AFSPA

Counting of votes in&nbsp;4 Lok Sabha bypoll seats began on Thursday morning. The bypolls were held on Monday in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and in a single seat in Nagaland.

After taking an early lead through postal ballots,&nbsp;BJP's&nbsp;Mriganka Singh is now trailing against&nbsp;RLD's&nbsp;Tabassum Hasan&nbsp;by over 8,000 votes.

After leading in Bhandara-Gondiya, BJP is now trailing against NCP in Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondiya by 3,000 votes.&nbsp;

In Palghar, BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya is leading by over 10,000 votes against&nbsp;Shiv Sena.

The high profile Kairana seat has all political pandits transfixed with BJP's Mriganka Singh, daughter of late BJP MP Hukum Singh pitted against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan with the Opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP providing support on the ground.

A victory for RLD would be seen as strengthing of the federal front after its victory in Karnataka&nbsp;Assembly elections recently and in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats in Uttar Pradesh earlier.

The voter turnout in Kairana was 54 per cent amid complaints of Electronic Voting Machine(EVM) Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail(VVPAT) malfunction which led the Election Commission to order repoll in 73 booths.

Malfunctioning of EVMs was also reported in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The BJP and NCP are locked in a bitter battle in the crucial Maharashtra seats.

The lone seat in Nagaland had reported 70 per cent polling with the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) battling the NDPP and the BJP.

Malfunctioning of EVMs was also reported in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Counting of votes in 4 Lok Sabha bypoll seats began on Thursday morning. The bypolls were held on Monday in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra and in a single seat in Nagaland. After taking an early lead through postal ballots, BJP's Mriganka Singh is now trailing against RLD's Tabassum Hasan by over 8,000 votes. After leading in Bhandara-Gondiya, BJP is now trailing against NCP in Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondiya by 3,000 votes. In Palghar, BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya is leading by over 10,000 votes against Shiv Sena. The high profile Kairana seat has all political pandits transfixed with BJP's Mriganka Singh, daughter of late BJP MP Hukum Singh pitted against Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan with the Opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP providing support on the ground. A victory for RLD would be seen as strengthing of the federal front after its victory in Karnataka Assembly elections recently and in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats in Uttar Pradesh earlier. The voter turnout in Kairana was 54 per cent amid complaints of Electronic Voting Machine(EVM) Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail(VVPAT) malfunction which led the Election Commission to order repoll in 73 booths. Malfunctioning of EVMs was also reported in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The BJP and NCP are locked in a bitter battle in the crucial Maharashtra seats. The lone seat in Nagaland had reported 70 per cent polling with the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) battling the NDPP and the BJP.

Live Lok Sabha bypolls: BJP's Mriganka Singh trails in Kairana; NCP leads in Bhandara-Gondiya

In a big setback to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday won two out of four Lok Sabha seats strengthening non-BJP unity in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. BJP retained one seat and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won the Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll.

With prestige at stake in every single bypoll, the BJP was seen losing the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in politically important Uttar Pradesh to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, as per the trends and results announced by the Election Commission.

United opposition&nbsp;candidate Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party,&nbsp;won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes

However, the BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga by 29574 votes.

The fourth Lok Sabha seat, Nagaland, for which bypoll was held earlier this week appeared to be going in favour of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the northeastern state.

The results appeared more slanted against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had won these seats before bypolls were necessitated. While the BJP alliance was seen retaining two Lok Sabha seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it failed to retain two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar.

Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap.

Asked about the BJP's performance in these by-elections ahead of next year's general polls, Singh said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward."

"We are going to take a massive leap," he added.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal latched onto the bypoll results to attack the BJP and said it reflects the anger against the Modi government.

The trends from UP showed the biggest electoral upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, leading by a big margin in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency.

&nbsp;The seat fell vacant following the death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh.

Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an early lead over Mriganka Singh right from the beginning to establish an almost invincible lead by noon.

In Maharashtra, the BJP retained Palghar but was staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections. The NCP's Madhukar Kukade was leading over the BJP's Hemant Patel, as per latest trends.&nbsp;

The announcement of results was not without controversies. While repolling was held in few polling booths due to EVMs failures, on the counting, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out. However, Election Commission rejected the request and issued the victory certificate to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)&nbsp;

The BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena

In a big setback to the ruling BJP, opposition parties on Thursday won two out of four Lok Sabha seats strengthening non-BJP unity in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. BJP retained one seat and its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won the Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll. With prestige at stake in every single bypoll, the BJP was seen losing the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in politically important Uttar Pradesh to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, as per the trends and results announced by the Election Commission. United opposition candidate Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes However, the BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga by 29574 votes. The fourth Lok Sabha seat, Nagaland, for which bypoll was held earlier this week appeared to be going in favour of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the northeastern state. The results appeared more slanted against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had won these seats before bypolls were necessitated. While the BJP alliance was seen retaining two Lok Sabha seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it failed to retain two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar. Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap. Asked about the BJP's performance in these by-elections ahead of next year's general polls, Singh said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward." "We are going to take a massive leap," he added. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal latched onto the bypoll results to attack the BJP and said it reflects the anger against the Modi government. The trends from UP showed the biggest electoral upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, leading by a big margin in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency. The seat fell vacant following the death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh. Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an early lead over Mriganka Singh right from the beginning to establish an almost invincible lead by noon. In Maharashtra, the BJP retained Palghar but was staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections. The NCP's Madhukar Kukade was leading over the BJP's Hemant Patel, as per latest trends. The announcement of results was not without controversies. While repolling was held in few polling booths due to EVMs failures, on the counting, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that said that there were some discrepancies in counting and appealed to the Election Commission to announce the results after those discrepancies are sorted out. However, Election Commission rejected the request and issued the victory certificate to the BJP candidate, Rajendra Gavit. (With PTI inputs)

Lok Sabha bypoll results: Opposition snatches Kairana from BJP, NCP wins Bhandara-Gondiya

Around 44 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours of polling for Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha seat today.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio cast his vote at a polling booth at Touphema Basa village, around 25 km from the state capital, around 10 am, sources said.

The ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), which has the NDPP and the BJP as its major constituents, has fielded former minister Tokheho Yepthomi from the seat.

Yepthomi is pitted against Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee C Apok Jamir. The Congress has also extended its support to Jamir.

Altogether 11,97,436 people are eligible to exercise their franchise at 2196 polling stations across the state, Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said.

Voting began at 7 AM and will go on till 4 PM in 1887 polling stations, while it will end an hour ahead in 309 booths, the CEO said.

"In 309 booths, set up in faraway places with barely any transportation facilities, the polling will end at 3 PM for the convenience of the election officials," he said.

Altogether, 40 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with 80 companies of Nagaland Armed Police, 770 Home Guards and 2600 village guards have been deployed across the state to ensure free and fair polls, Sinha added.

The bypoll was necessitated after Rio, who is also the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader, resigned as a Lok Sabha member in February, days before the assembly polls. 
&nbsp

Altogether 11,97,436 people are eligible to exercise their franchise at 2196 polling stations across the state

Around 44 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours of polling for Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha seat today. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio cast his vote at a polling booth at Touphema Basa village, around 25 km from the state capital, around 10 am, sources said. The ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), which has the NDPP and the BJP as its major constituents, has fielded former minister Tokheho Yepthomi from the seat. Yepthomi is pitted against Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee C Apok Jamir. The Congress has also extended its support to Jamir. Altogether 11,97,436 people are eligible to exercise their franchise at 2196 polling stations across the state, Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said. Voting began at 7 AM and will go on till 4 PM in 1887 polling stations, while it will end an hour ahead in 309 booths, the CEO said. "In 309 booths, set up in faraway places with barely any transportation facilities, the polling will end at 3 PM for the convenience of the election officials," he said. Altogether, 40 companies of Central Armed Police Forces along with 80 companies of Nagaland Armed Police, 770 Home Guards and 2600 village guards have been deployed across the state to ensure free and fair polls, Sinha added. The bypoll was necessitated after Rio, who is also the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader, resigned as a Lok Sabha member in February, days before the assembly polls.

Bypolls: Voting underway in Nagaland Lok Sabha seat, 44% turnout in first 4 hours

Nagaland under the new government has decided to do away with the VIP culture in the state.

The newly formed People&#39;s Democratic Alliance government of Nagaland led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has decided to end the VIP culture in the state in all its forms. The announcement has come at a time when there is growing resentment amongst the people against this culture.

&quot;We had committed in our manifesto that we will remove the VIP culture from the state. For us, the people are the masters and we assure the people of Nagaland that we will tirelessly work towards the achievement of the commitment given to the people in our manifesto&quot; said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

According to the report released by the Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh, government officials and functionaries were strictly instructed not to display anything except the vehicle registration number on the vehicles as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Act 1989.

Violators would face action under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988.

However, the ministers and MLAs will be provided appropriate colour coded car stickers to facilitate their movement.

Moreover, barring the Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy, the use of pilots and security escorts by all the government functionaries has been banned within the capital city Kohima and Dimapur.

Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Sushil Kumar Patel and Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh were among the first officials who did away with the names on their official vehicles and have requested others to follow suit.

It has also been decided to enhance and improve the security surveillance in the cities so that ministers and other functionaries need not use escorts and pilots within city limits.

The residents of Nagaland welcomed the verdict as a part of positive change in governance and renewed their hopes for a government that is finally committed to working for the welfare of the people.

The decisions and verdict are being seen as trendsetter for other parts of the country to follow.

The newly formed People's Democratic Alliance government of Nagaland led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has decided to end the VIP culture in the state in all its forms. The announcement has come at a time when there is growing resentment amongst the people against this culture

Nagaland under the new government has decided to do away with the VIP culture in the state. The newly formed People's Democratic Alliance government of Nagaland led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has decided to end the VIP culture in the state in all its forms. The announcement has come at a time when there is growing resentment amongst the people against this culture. "We had committed in our manifesto that we will remove the VIP culture from the state. For us, the people are the masters and we assure the people of Nagaland that we will tirelessly work towards the achievement of the commitment given to the people in our manifesto" said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. According to the report released by the Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh, government officials and functionaries were strictly instructed not to display anything except the vehicle registration number on the vehicles as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Act 1989. Violators would face action under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988. However, the ministers and MLAs will be provided appropriate colour coded car stickers to facilitate their movement. Moreover, barring the Governor, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Speaker and Deputy, the use of pilots and security escorts by all the government functionaries has been banned within the capital city Kohima and Dimapur. Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Sushil Kumar Patel and Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh were among the first officials who did away with the names on their official vehicles and have requested others to follow suit. It has also been decided to enhance and improve the security surveillance in the cities so that ministers and other functionaries need not use escorts and pilots within city limits. The residents of Nagaland welcomed the verdict as a part of positive change in governance and renewed their hopes for a government that is finally committed to working for the welfare of the people. The decisions and verdict are being seen as trendsetter for other parts of the country to follow.

Nagaland to shun VIP culture: Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/inx-media-case-karti-chidambarams-cbi-custody-extended-by-3-days-34895" target="_blank">INX Media case: CBI custody of Karti Chidambaram extended by 3 days</a>

A special CBI Court on Tuesday extended the agency&#39;s custody of Karti Chidambaram by three more days in the infamous INX Media case, after his previous five-day custody expired today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/no-need-for-nuclear-weapons-if-we-have-security-guarantee-north-korea-34896" target="_blank">No need for nuclear weapons if we have security guarantee: North Korea</a>

North Korea is open to denuclearisation if the safety of Kim Jong Un&rsquo;s regime is guaranteed, a South Korean official said Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868" target="_blank">Sri Lanka declares </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868" target="_blank">emergency</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-imposes-10-day-emergency-in-kandy-due-to-communal-tension-34868" target="_blank"> to quell Buddhist-Muslim riots, curfew imposed in Kandy</a>

Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neiphiu-rio-appointed-nagaland-chief-minister-by-governor-pb-acharya-34900" target="_blank">Neiphiu Rio appointed </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neiphiu-rio-appointed-nagaland-chief-minister-by-governor-pb-acharya-34900" target="_blank">c</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neiphiu-rio-appointed-nagaland-chief-minister-by-governor-pb-acharya-34900" target="_blank">hief</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neiphiu-rio-appointed-nagaland-chief-minister-by-governor-pb-acharya-34900" target="_blank"> minister of Nagaland</a>

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has appointed Neiphiu Rio as chief minister under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnb-scam-icicis-chanda-kochhar-axis-banks-shikha-sharma-summoned-by-sfio-34893" target="_blank">PNB scam: ICICI&#39;s Chanda Kochhar, Axis Bank&#39;s Shikha Sharma summoned by Serious Fraud Investigation Office</a>

ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank chief Shikha Sharma have been summoned by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in connection with the over Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam.&nbsp;

INX Media case: CBI custody of Karti Chidambaram extended by 3 days A special CBI Court on Tuesday extended the agency's custody of Karti Chidambaram by three more days in the infamous INX Media case, after his previous five-day custody expired today. No need for nuclear weapons if we have security guarantee: North Korea North Korea is open to denuclearisation if the safety of Kim Jong Un’s regime is guaranteed, a South Korean official said Tuesday. Sri Lanka declares emergency to quell Buddhist-Muslim riots, curfew imposed in Kandy Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community. Neiphiu Rio appointed chief minister of Nagaland Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has appointed Neiphiu Rio as chief minister under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution. PNB scam: ICICI's Chanda Kochhar, Axis Bank's Shikha Sharma summoned by Serious Fraud Investigation Office ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar and Axis Bank chief Shikha Sharma have been summoned by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in connection with the over Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam.

WION Evening News Brief, March 6, 2018

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has appointed Neiphiu Rio as chief minister under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution.&nbsp;

The governor also asked Rio to prove his majority on the floor of the house on or before March 16, 2018.

Acharya also accepted the resignation submitted by former chief minister TR Zeliang, who had so far been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nagaland-cm-tr-zeliang-refuses-to-quit-34888" target="_blank">refusing to quit</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rio has been asked to prove his majority on the floor of the house on or before March 16

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya has appointed Neiphiu Rio as chief minister under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution. The governor also asked Rio to prove his majority on the floor of the house on or before March 16, 2018. Acharya also accepted the resignation submitted by former chief minister TR Zeliang, who had so far been refusing to quit.

Neiphiu Rio appointed chief minister of Nagaland

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist&nbsp;Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also blamed the Congress&nbsp;for the&nbsp;PNB Scam&nbsp;saying that UPA helped&nbsp;Mehul Choksi&nbsp;in&nbsp;2014.

He added that the corruption was&nbsp;planted in the Congress regime.

Prasad also said that the Congress party has issues with technology since technology brings transparency.&nbsp;

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Under the so called economist Prime Minister Manomhan Singh, the entire banking system went haywire due to all kinds of interference with it: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/Uz0N1C3x5H">pic.twitter.com/Uz0N1C3x5H</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970604658665361409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Referring to the 80:20 Gold scheme, he said that the Congress must come clean in the loot. &nbsp;

He said &quot;There was a Scheme 80:20 introduced in August 2013 and repealed in November 2014. On 16th May 2014, the date of the declaration of results, the then Finance Minister gave &#39;aashirvaad&#39; to 7 private companies under 80:20 Scheme. One of those companies was Gitanjali.&quot;

He further said &quot;Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi must answer why was this passed on the day of results to benefit these 7 private companies?

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Congress has been indulging in the politics of fear and confusion in the last 4 years: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/kRNuRMNbhd">pic.twitter.com/kRNuRMNbhd</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970603779807698944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Replying to the Congress&#39; accusations of corruption in Rafale deal, he said: &quot;&nbsp;It is very surprising that Congress party which is drowned in corruption in Bofors among other purchases of weapons system, is raising questions on Rafale deal&quot;.&nbsp; He added that Congress could not execute Rafale deal for 10 years.&nbsp;

Prasad claimed that not a single loan given&nbsp;under the BJP government is Non-performing Asset.&nbsp;

He said &quot;Time and again we have stated that not a single loan given under our government is NPA. In 2008, the total advance to people given by the banks was Rs 18.06 Lakh Crores. By March 2014 amount went up to Rs 52.15 Lakh Crore. The stressed asset identified out of this was only 36 per cent&quot;.

He added &quot;Now the stressed asset has risen to 82 per cent out of that advances made in the UPA government. This means for more than one occasions the correct data could not make it to the records of the banks under UPA government&quot;.&nbsp;

Speaking about the party&#39;s historic victory in Tripura he said the win was very difficult for the country.&nbsp;

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Tripura ki jeet desh ke liye ek bahut doorgaami jeet hai: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/RIVpAV0zm3">pic.twitter.com/RIVpAV0zm3</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970603067191291904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He said that they did not expect Congress to lose in North East where the party had a stronghold. However, the Congres&nbsp;lost in Tripura and Nagaland also.&nbsp;

He added that his party won in a region where 88 per cent&nbsp;population is majorly&nbsp;occupied by Christians.&nbsp;

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Congress UP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kashmir mein haari. Hum ummid karte the ki North-East mein Cong ki pakad hai. Par Cong Tripura aur Nagaland mein 0. Nagaland mein BJP ne 20 candidates utare, aur 12 jeete. Hume 15% vote mile, aise pradesh mein jahan 88% Christians hain: RS Prasad <a href="https://t.co/ksqp6waYzZ">pic.twitter.com/ksqp6waYzZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970610180093194240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He added that the corruption was planted in the Congress regime

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also blamed the Congress for the PNB Scam saying that UPA helped Mehul Choksi in 2014. He added that the corruption was planted in the Congress regime. Prasad also said that the Congress party has issues with technology since technology brings transparency. Under the so called economist Prime Minister Manomhan Singh, the entire banking system went haywire due to all kinds of interference with it: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/Uz0N1C3x5H — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × Referring to the 80:20 Gold scheme, he said that the Congress must come clean in the loot. He said "There was a Scheme 80:20 introduced in August 2013 and repealed in November 2014. On 16th May 2014, the date of the declaration of results, the then Finance Minister gave 'aashirvaad' to 7 private companies under 80:20 Scheme. One of those companies was Gitanjali." He further said "Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi must answer why was this passed on the day of results to benefit these 7 private companies? Congress has been indulging in the politics of fear and confusion in the last 4 years: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/kRNuRMNbhd — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × Replying to the Congress' accusations of corruption in Rafale deal, he said: " It is very surprising that Congress party which is drowned in corruption in Bofors among other purchases of weapons system, is raising questions on Rafale deal". He added that Congress could not execute Rafale deal for 10 years. Prasad claimed that not a single loan given under the BJP government is Non-performing Asset. He said "Time and again we have stated that not a single loan given under our government is NPA. In 2008, the total advance to people given by the banks was Rs 18.06 Lakh Crores. By March 2014 amount went up to Rs 52.15 Lakh Crore. The stressed asset identified out of this was only 36 per cent". He added "Now the stressed asset has risen to 82 per cent out of that advances made in the UPA government. This means for more than one occasions the correct data could not make it to the records of the banks under UPA government". Speaking about the party's historic victory in Tripura he said the win was very difficult for the country. Tripura ki jeet desh ke liye ek bahut doorgaami jeet hai: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/RIVpAV0zm3 — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × He said that they did not expect Congress to lose in North East where the party had a stronghold. However, the Congres lost in Tripura and Nagaland also. He added that his party won in a region where 88 per cent population is majorly occupied by Christians. Congress UP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kashmir mein haari. Hum ummid karte the ki North-East mein Cong ki pakad hai. Par Cong Tripura aur Nagaland mein 0. Nagaland mein BJP ne 20 candidates utare, aur 12 jeete. Hume 15% vote mile, aise pradesh mein jahan 88% Christians hain: RS Prasad pic.twitter.com/ksqp6waYzZ — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 ×

Chidambaram helped Mehul Choksi in 2014: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party&#39;s defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region.

Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress&#39;s poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people.

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The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. 
 
We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. 
 
My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/970577646869536768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government.

Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state.&nbsp;

Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail.

The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul also appreciated the hard work of party workers

Two days after results for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland were declared on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday broke his silence on the party's defeat and said he respects the mandate of people in the region. Rahul appreciated the hard work of party workers who helped mount the Congress's poll campaign in the three states and said he is committed to winning back the trust of the North East people. The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the North East and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 5, 2018 × Despite emerging the largest single party in Meghalaya with 21 seats, Congress, where it was in power, could not garner the support of regional outfits to cobble together a coalition government. Meanwhile, NPP which became the single largest second party, received support from BJP and many other regional parties to form a non-Congress government in the state. Top party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath rushed to Shillong to talk to regional parties but to no avail. The Congress also failed to score a single seat in Tripura and Nagaland.

Rahul Gandhi accepts defeat in NE, says Congress respects people's mandate

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio met Nagaland governor PB Acharya to stake claim to form the government on Sunday.

BJP-NDPP also submitted a list of elected candidates to the Nagaland governor.

NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio claimed the support of 32 MLAs in the state&#39;s 60-member Assembly.

This was accepted by Nagaland Governor PB Acharya, who said Neiphiu Rio had the majority and should form the government.

Acharya said he has asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by tomorrow.

The NDPP and the BJP have won 18 and 12 seats respectively while the lone JD(U) MLA G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum were backing the alliance, NDPP secretary-general Abu Metha said.

Rio is a three-time chief minister of the state.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio staked claim to form the government in Nagaland, declaring the support of 32 MLAs in the state's 60-member Assembly

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio met Nagaland governor PB Acharya to stake claim to form the government on Sunday. BJP-NDPP also submitted a list of elected candidates to the Nagaland governor. NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio claimed the support of 32 MLAs in the state's 60-member Assembly. This was accepted by Nagaland Governor PB Acharya, who said Neiphiu Rio had the majority and should form the government. Acharya said he has asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by tomorrow. The NDPP and the BJP have won 18 and 12 seats respectively while the lone JD(U) MLA G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum were backing the alliance, NDPP secretary-general Abu Metha said. Rio is a three-time chief minister of the state. (With inputs from PTI)

NDPP's Neiphiu Rio stakes claim to form government in Nagaland

Speaking at the &quot;Youth Power Convention&quot; event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations.&nbsp;

He said &quot; There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes &amp; aspirations&quot;.

He&nbsp;also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert&nbsp;ideas of school students into innovation.

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Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/l8AyxsiBQe">pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970183132547760128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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&quot;Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, &quot;Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava&quot;: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/gjnaVjwWhP">pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970184316742393856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I&#39;m not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east&#39;s celebrations&quot; &quot;It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change&quot;.

&nbsp;

Speaking at Yuva Power Convention PM Modi said 'I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations'

Speaking at the "Youth Power Convention" event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations. He said " There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations". He also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert ideas of school students into innovation. Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × "Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, "Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava": PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East. He said, "A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I'm not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east's celebrations" "It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change".

Always try to work according to hopes and aspirations of youth: PM Modi

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday that his party would stake claim to form the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-demolishes-left-citadel-in-tripura-certain-to-be-part-of-government-in-nagaland-34576">next government</a> in Nagaland in the next couple of days.

The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state.

&quot;NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have support of 1 independent and 1 JD(U) member, that takes us to 32 seats. We are in a comfortable position to form next govt. NDPP-BJP alliance will stake its claim to form govt in next couple of days,&quot; Ram Madhav said.

G Kaito Aye, the JD(U) nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum are reported to have expressed their wish to join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its numbers to&nbsp;31.

The BJP-NDPP combine has won 29 seats (BJP 12, NDPP 17). The NPP of Conrad Sangma, an NEDA partner of the BJP, has won two seats and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar&#39;s JD(U) one.

The NPF is the single largest party in the House with 27 seats.

The BJP got an informal invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang to join the new government, PTI reported earlier.

The BJP had parted ways with the NPF just ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly-launched NDPP of three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, also an old NPF hand.

(With inputs from PTI)

The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Saturday that his party would stake claim to form the next government in Nagaland in the next couple of days. The BJP general secretary said the NDPP-BJP alliance had the support of one independent and one JD(U) member which increased its tally to 32, above the mark of 31 needed to form the government in the state. "NDPP-BJP alliance has secured near simple majority in Nagaland. We have support of 1 independent and 1 JD(U) member, that takes us to 32 seats. We are in a comfortable position to form next govt. NDPP-BJP alliance will stake its claim to form govt in next couple of days," Ram Madhav said. G Kaito Aye, the JD(U) nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum are reported to have expressed their wish to join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its numbers to 31. The BJP-NDPP combine has won 29 seats (BJP 12, NDPP 17). The NPP of Conrad Sangma, an NEDA partner of the BJP, has won two seats and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) one. The NPF is the single largest party in the House with 27 seats. The BJP got an informal invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang to join the new government, PTI reported earlier. The BJP had parted ways with the NPF just ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly-launched NDPP of three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, also an old NPF hand. (With inputs from PTI)

Will stake claim to form government in Nagaland: BJP

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways.

The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party&rsquo;s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate.

The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right &mdash; indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace &mdash; and here too it&rsquo;s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region.

The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically.

Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology &mdash; whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party&rsquo;s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues.

If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it&rsquo;s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre.

Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in.

If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party&rsquo;s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power?

There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

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The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region of north-east India is now painted saffron.

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways. The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate. The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right — indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace — and here too it’s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region. The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically. Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology — whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party’s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues. If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People’s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it’s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre. Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in. If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party’s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power? There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: BJP's bandwagon continues to roll in NE

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-demolishes-left-citadel-in-tripura-certain-to-be-part-of-government-in-nagaland-34576" target="_blank">remarkable victory</a> in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday.

The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm.

BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-never-so-diminished-as-it-is-now-narendra-modi-34570" target="_blank">Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi</a>

BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of&nbsp;left government from the state.&nbsp;

In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura.&nbsp;

The party&nbsp;and its alliance also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557" target="_blank">emerged victorious in Nagaland</a>.&nbsp;

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The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its remarkable victory in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday. The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm. BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly. Also read: Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of left government from the state. In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura. The party and its alliance also emerged victorious in Nagaland.

BJP to celebrate Vijay Diwas to mark its victory in North East

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland.

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party&#39;s senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government.

No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland.

The Congress defended Gandhi&#39;s visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother.

The party&#39;s leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents.

The Congress&#39; move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught &quot;napping&quot; in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments.

Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.

Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said.

No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said.

Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.&nbsp;

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland. The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party's senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government. No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress defended Gandhi's visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother. The party's leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents. The Congress' move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught "napping" in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments. Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma. Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it. The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said. No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said. Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.

Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524">Live updates: Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524">results</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-tripura-meghalaya-nagaland-results-today-34524"> today</a>

Counting of votes begins for Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya assembly elections. Results are expected by the afternoon. Tripura went to the polls on February 18. Elections in Meghalya and Nagaland were held on February 27.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/central-michigan-university-shooting-gunman-identified-shot-parents-34522">Central Michigan University shooting: Gunman identified, shot parents</a>

A gunman suspected of killing his parents at a Central Michigan University dormitory during a domestic dispute on Friday was still at large, authorities said. According to media reports, 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr was a sophomore at Michigan University who targeted two people at the University due to personal rivalry.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gauri-lankesh-murder-suspect-taken-to-custody-34521">Gauri Lankesh murder: Suspect taken into custody</a>

The Karnataka Police has taken a suspected accused KT Naveen Kumar into police custody for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. As per media reports, Naveen was caught by the crime wing of the state police&#39;s central crime branch on February 18.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/shoot-a-school-kid-only-29-says-vandalized-vegas-billboard-34525">&#39;Shoot a school kid only $29,&#39; says vandalized Vegas billboard</a>

In yet another demand for the gun reforms on Friday, as an aftermath to Florida High school shooting, a billboard at Las Vegas was vandalised to read, &quot;Shoot a school kid only $29,&quot;. The billboard originally read, &quot;Shoot a .50 caliber only $29.&quot; It was an advertisement for a local firing range called Battlefield Vegas, which, according to its website, is a business owned and operated by veterans that features a &quot;military-style complex&quot; a block from the Las Vegas Strip, as well as additional &quot;outdoor training areas.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/storm-hits-us-northeast-kills-at-least-five-people-34528">Storm hits US Northeast, kills at least five people</a>

A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 80 miles per hour (129 km per hour) helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region. Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummelled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 60 mph (96 kph) in the U.S. capital.

Live updates: Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland results today Counting of votes begins for Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya assembly elections. Results are expected by the afternoon. Tripura went to the polls on February 18. Elections in Meghalya and Nagaland were held on February 27. Central Michigan University shooting: Gunman identified, shot parents A gunman suspected of killing his parents at a Central Michigan University dormitory during a domestic dispute on Friday was still at large, authorities said. According to media reports, 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr was a sophomore at Michigan University who targeted two people at the University due to personal rivalry. Gauri Lankesh murder: Suspect taken into custody The Karnataka Police has taken a suspected accused KT Naveen Kumar into police custody for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. As per media reports, Naveen was caught by the crime wing of the state police's central crime branch on February 18. 'Shoot a school kid only $29,' says vandalized Vegas billboard In yet another demand for the gun reforms on Friday, as an aftermath to Florida High school shooting, a billboard at Las Vegas was vandalised to read, "Shoot a school kid only $29,". The billboard originally read, "Shoot a .50 caliber only $29." It was an advertisement for a local firing range called Battlefield Vegas, which, according to its website, is a business owned and operated by veterans that features a "military-style complex" a block from the Las Vegas Strip, as well as additional "outdoor training areas." Storm hits US Northeast, kills at least five people A powerful storm lashing the northeastern United States on Friday killed at least five people as winds topping 80 miles per hour (129 km per hour) helped flood streets in Boston, ground flights and halt train service across the region. Almost 1.7 million homes and businesses were without power in the Northeast and Midwest as the storm pummelled the East Coast from Virginia to Maine. Government offices in Washington closed as winds gusted to more than 60 mph (96 kph) in the U.S. capital.

WION Morning News Brief, March 3, 2018

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren.

Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states.

Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it&rsquo;s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya.

Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war.

Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt.

Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal.

Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014.

What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative.

From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP&rsquo;s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy.

It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism.

Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal.

The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders.

Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For Congress, anti BJP-ism like anti Congress-ism of 70s-80s will not work.

Whether one likes it or not, BJP has changed the political landscape of North East for good. Today it stands as a formidable force in NE despite initial handicap of ideology and weight of aggressive nationalism practiced in mainland by its brethren. Despite limitations, BJP either captured power or increased its number and vote share in all the states which went for polls. The best example is that of Nagaland where BJP increased its vote share from 1.75 percent to 14.5 percent whereas Congress vote share which stood at 24.89 percent votes in 2013 dropped to 2.1 percent. Question did this happen? The answer is that the strategy of concentrating in Meghalaya did not work. The message even before the elections was out that Congress has conceded defeat in other two states. Congress contested 18 seats in Nagaland and could not win a single seat. Same is the case with Tripura where its vote share fell from 36.53 percent to 1.8 percent. Even in Meghalaya where Congress President Rahul Gandhi campaigned extensively, the vote share slipped from 34.78 percent to 29 percent. In all the three states BJP did exceptionally well. In Meghalaya, it did not taste electoral success but it’s very numerical presence has added another layer to the fractured house of Meghalaya. Barring, Meghalaya, Congress also did not run an effective campaign. In both these states Congress was not seen fighting the election. Despite large defection in Nagaland and large voter base in Tripura, the grand old party could not stich up a campaign. It was an admission of defeat before war. Congress did not even have candidates in all 60 segments in Nagaland. In Tripura, the message went that its the B team of Left hence, anti-Left vote went to BJP. Tripura has happened despite West Bengal experience. The lesson has not been learnt. Congress was seen as B team of the Left in WB. The party showed neither ideological character nor endurance to constantly challenge the Left. It is for this reason, people of West Bengal chose Mamata Banerji as an alternative to the Congress Party in West Bengal. Similarly, the talk in NE within Congress was not about forming government but to keep BJP at bay. It is a wrong narrative. It is like anti Congress-ism of 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many regional parties came together to form governments in Delhi but the country never gave any of them a national mandate. The mandate went to BJP as it offered a different vision of religion and state in 1990s and governance in 2014. What is required from the Congress is a vision document as to what does it stand for today? Congress today also stands at a juncture when the right based approach has already been monetised. In post-industrial society, especially in the semi urban and urban areas, right has mutated to a choice. The choice either comes in form of a face or in form of a political narrative. From 2014, Congress has been reacting to BJP’s narrative. It has not been able to set national agenda on which BJP has reacted for long. The election in NE may be about organization and money but electoral focus at expense of organization remains its biggest enemy. It was not born to keep BJP out. It started with a different purpose and continued to adapt itself to the changing realities of India. The only way it can survive cogently as a national party is by building itself brick by brick. Today, it only remains a pan Indian party on paper. The short-term alliances with regional parties to prevent BJP from coming to power is leading to self -cannibalism. Each time, Congress has had a truck with a regional party, its vote bank erodes. 2017 UP assembly result is the the best example of this erosion where Congress polled less votes than Apna Dal. The more Congress indulges in such opportunism, harsher will be the future for its organization. Lastly, BJP is being elected by an independent electorate not outsiders. Congress needs to come out with its Vision Document and mass contact programme. Piecemeal victories in Punjab or good fight like Gujarat will not be enough to be challenge BJP. For it, Congress will have to behave like an organizational alternative. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Like it or not, BJP has captured North East

The counting of votes for the Assembly elections in three Northeastern states - Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura - will be held on Saturday amid tight security, officials said.

The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in all the three states and two exit polls have predicted that the party would dethrone the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura and consolidate its position in the other two states.

While the Congress has been ruling Meghalaya for 10 years, the Naga People&#39;s Front (NFP) has been in power in Nagaland since 2003, except for a three-month period of President&#39;s rule in 2008.

Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is making a bid to expand its footprints in the region.

Counting would begin from 8 AM in all the states amid tight security, Election Commission officials said.

While Tripura went to the polls on February 18, elections were held in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27.

Though the strength of each of the Assemblies in the three states is 60 members, voting was held for 59 constituencies in all of them, for different reasons.

While a CPM&nbsp;candidate died in Tripura, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate was killed in Meghalaya, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat each in the two states.

In Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed.

In Meghalaya, the Congress fielded 59 candidates, while the BJP put up nominees in 47 constituencies. For the first time, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is contesting from two seats.

In Nagaland, the BJP has joined hands with the NDPP that was floated by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio. The NDPP is contesting on 40 seats and the saffron party on 20.

The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland since the state&#39;s inception in 1963, is contesting only in 18 seats, two less than the BJP.

The election process in Nagaland had started on a difficult note.

Following a no-poll diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations that advocated &quot;solution (to the Naga political issue) before election&quot;, political parties initially kept away from the poll process.

Though the filing of nominations started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their papers only on February 5, the penultimate day for filing of nominations.

There was a heavy rush of nominees to file their nomination papers on the last day, February 7, and finally after scrutiny and withdrawal, 227 candidates were in the fray for the Assembly elections in the state.

&quot;Adequate security measures have been made for the counting centres. Counting halls were also ready. General observers and police observers were appointed for all the counting halls,&quot; Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura Tapas Ray said.

In Nagaland, 349 tables in 17 centres across the state would be set up for counting tomorrow, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Abhijit Sinha, said.

Votes would be counted in presence of the candidates and agents under the supervision of the respective district returning officers and assistant returning officers, state Additional CEO N Moa Aier told PTI.

Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said a three-tier security arrangement has been made at all the 13 counting centres and 11 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed here for the counting process.

The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in all the three states

The counting of votes for the Assembly elections in three Northeastern states - Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura - will be held on Saturday amid tight security, officials said. The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in all the three states and two exit polls have predicted that the party would dethrone the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura and consolidate its position in the other two states. While the Congress has been ruling Meghalaya for 10 years, the Naga People's Front (NFP) has been in power in Nagaland since 2003, except for a three-month period of President's rule in 2008. Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is making a bid to expand its footprints in the region. Counting would begin from 8 AM in all the states amid tight security, Election Commission officials said. While Tripura went to the polls on February 18, elections were held in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27. Though the strength of each of the Assemblies in the three states is 60 members, voting was held for 59 constituencies in all of them, for different reasons. While a CPM candidate died in Tripura, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate was killed in Meghalaya, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat each in the two states. In Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed. In Meghalaya, the Congress fielded 59 candidates, while the BJP put up nominees in 47 constituencies. For the first time, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is contesting from two seats. In Nagaland, the BJP has joined hands with the NDPP that was floated by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio. The NDPP is contesting on 40 seats and the saffron party on 20. The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland since the state's inception in 1963, is contesting only in 18 seats, two less than the BJP. The election process in Nagaland had started on a difficult note. Following a no-poll diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations that advocated "solution (to the Naga political issue) before election", political parties initially kept away from the poll process. Though the filing of nominations started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their papers only on February 5, the penultimate day for filing of nominations. There was a heavy rush of nominees to file their nomination papers on the last day, February 7, and finally after scrutiny and withdrawal, 227 candidates were in the fray for the Assembly elections in the state. "Adequate security measures have been made for the counting centres. Counting halls were also ready. General observers and police observers were appointed for all the counting halls," Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura Tapas Ray said. In Nagaland, 349 tables in 17 centres across the state would be set up for counting tomorrow, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Abhijit Sinha, said. Votes would be counted in presence of the candidates and agents under the supervision of the respective district returning officers and assistant returning officers, state Additional CEO N Moa Aier told PTI. Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said a three-tier security arrangement has been made at all the 13 counting centres and 11 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed here for the counting process.

Counting of votes in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura to take place on Saturday amid tight security

Polling in assembly elections in two key Northeastern states&mdash;Nagaland and Meghalaya&mdash;took place on Tuesday with both states recording voter turnouts of 75%, the Election Commission (EC) said.&nbsp;

With Tuesday&rsquo;s elections, the polling process for all the three North-eastern states&mdash;Tripura, which went to the polls earlier this month, is the third&mdash;is complete.&nbsp;

The election results will be announced on 3 March.

In the 2013 assembly elections, Meghalaya recorded a voter turnout of 86.82% and Nagaland 90.19%.

In Nagaland, Polling was held in 59 out of the total 60 constituencies as Neiphiu Rio, the three-time former chief minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party candidate was elected unopposed to Northern Angami-II seat.&nbsp;

Rio&#39;s party has an alliance with the BJP, which snapped ties with its long-standing ally the Naga People&#39;s Front.

Sinha said voting could not be held at Ladigarh polling station in Tamlu constituency in Longleng district along the Nagaland-Assam border due to the tension there.&nbsp;

Voting could not be held also at a polling station at Suthotsdu village in Meluri sub-division of Phek district as a mob forcibly entered and damaged an EVM.

In Tizit constituency, a group of people snatched EVMs and the VVPAT machine at a polling booth. The EVM was retrieved but the VVPAT has still not been found, he added.

Of the 195 candidates in fray in Nagaland, NPF has fielded 58, Congress 18, BJP 20, NDPP 39, NPP 25, NCP 6, JD(U) 13, AAP 3, LJP 2 and 11 Independents. Five women candidates also contested.

Meghalaya CEO F R Kharkongor said polling in 59 out of the 60 constituencies was by and large peaceful and the election office is awaiting data from remote places in the Garo and East Jaintia Hills districts.

Polling was countermanded in the Williamnagar constituency in the state due to the killing of NCP candidate Jonathon N Sangma on February 18.

He said polling had to be stopped in one booth of Raliang constituency in West Jaintia Hills district due to EVM-related problems. In two polling stations in South Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills districts, officials forgot to delete the mock poll data from the machines.

The ruling Congress, which had won 29 seats in the 2013 elections, is facing the challenge from a buoyant BJP after the latter&#39;s successes in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Congress, in power in Meghalaya for the last 10 years, has fielded 59 candidates. The chief minister is contesting from two seats.

Although the BJP drew a blank in 2013, it has put up candidates in 47 seats, including four MLAs of the current House who joined the party last month.

The United Democratic Party, which has eight members in the outgoing House, and the Hills State People&#39;s Democratic Party with four MLAs forged a pre-poll alliance and are together contesting 45 seats.

The other major parties contesting the polls are the National People&#39;s Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the People&#39;s Democratic Front, a new entrant.

(With inputs from PTI)

With Tuesday’s elections, the polling process for all the three North-eastern states is complete. The election results will be announced on 3 March

Polling in assembly elections in two key Northeastern states—Nagaland and Meghalaya—took place on Tuesday with both states recording voter turnouts of 75%, the Election Commission (EC) said. With Tuesday’s elections, the polling process for all the three North-eastern states—Tripura, which went to the polls earlier this month, is the third—is complete. The election results will be announced on 3 March. In the 2013 assembly elections, Meghalaya recorded a voter turnout of 86.82% and Nagaland 90.19%. In Nagaland, Polling was held in 59 out of the total 60 constituencies as Neiphiu Rio, the three-time former chief minister and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party candidate was elected unopposed to Northern Angami-II seat. Rio's party has an alliance with the BJP, which snapped ties with its long-standing ally the Naga People's Front. Sinha said voting could not be held at Ladigarh polling station in Tamlu constituency in Longleng district along the Nagaland-Assam border due to the tension there. Voting could not be held also at a polling station at Suthotsdu village in Meluri sub-division of Phek district as a mob forcibly entered and damaged an EVM. In Tizit constituency, a group of people snatched EVMs and the VVPAT machine at a polling booth. The EVM was retrieved but the VVPAT has still not been found, he added. Of the 195 candidates in fray in Nagaland, NPF has fielded 58, Congress 18, BJP 20, NDPP 39, NPP 25, NCP 6, JD(U) 13, AAP 3, LJP 2 and 11 Independents. Five women candidates also contested. Meghalaya CEO F R Kharkongor said polling in 59 out of the 60 constituencies was by and large peaceful and the election office is awaiting data from remote places in the Garo and East Jaintia Hills districts. Polling was countermanded in the Williamnagar constituency in the state due to the killing of NCP candidate Jonathon N Sangma on February 18. He said polling had to be stopped in one booth of Raliang constituency in West Jaintia Hills district due to EVM-related problems. In two polling stations in South Garo Hills and South West Garo Hills districts, officials forgot to delete the mock poll data from the machines. The ruling Congress, which had won 29 seats in the 2013 elections, is facing the challenge from a buoyant BJP after the latter's successes in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress, in power in Meghalaya for the last 10 years, has fielded 59 candidates. The chief minister is contesting from two seats. Although the BJP drew a blank in 2013, it has put up candidates in 47 seats, including four MLAs of the current House who joined the party last month. The United Democratic Party, which has eight members in the outgoing House, and the Hills State People's Democratic Party with four MLAs forged a pre-poll alliance and are together contesting 45 seats. The other major parties contesting the polls are the National People's Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the People's Democratic Front, a new entrant. (With inputs from PTI)

75% voter turnouts recorded in Meghalaya and Nagaland

Two exit polls today predicted that the BJP will dethrone the Left front from power in Tripura.

According to the exit polls, the BJP will also consolidate its position in two other northeastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland.

JanKiBaat-NewsX has predicted that the BJP-IPFT alliance in Tripura will win 35-45 seats with a vote share of 51 per cent.

While another exit poll by AxisMyIndia predicts 44-50 seats for the BJP-IPFT with a vote share of 49 per cent and others may get 0-3 seats with a vote share of 11 per cent.

The ruling Left front in Tripura is likely to get 14-23 seats with vote share of 45-46 per cent, while AxisMyIndia poll predicted the Left to win 9-15 seats with a vote share of 40 per cent.

The CVoter Exit Poll has predicted a close finish in Tripura, with the CPI-M likely to get 26 to 34 seats with 44.3 per cent vote share, the BJP and its allies 24 to 32 seats with a vote share of 42.8 per cent, while the Congress may win only 0-2 seats with a vote share of 7.2 per cent.

In Meghalaya where the Congress is in power, the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll shows that the National People&#39;s Party (NPP) is set to gain with 23-27 seats while the BJP will get 8-12 seats, with vote shares of 39 and 12 per cent respectively. The Congress is predicted to win 13-17 seats with a voteshare of 21 per cent and others are likely to get 2 to 6 seats.

In Nagaland, the BJP-NDPP alliance is likely to storm the ruling NPF bastion as it is predicted to win 27-32 seats with a vote share of 48 per cent, against NPF&#39;s 20-25 seats and a vote share of 42 per cent, according to the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll.

The Congress in Nagaland is likely to get 0-2 seats with a vote share of 4.4 per cent and others are likely to get 5-7 seats with a vote share of 5-6 per cent.

In Meghalaya, the CVoter exit poll predicts a close finish, with the Congress likely to get 13-19 seats and the NPP 17 to 23 seats, with vote shares of 36.5 and 29.4 per cent respectively.

The BJP in Meghalaya is likely to get 4-8 seats with a vote share of 16.6 per cent. The UDP-HSPDP likely to bag 8-12 seats and 8.8. Per cent vote share, while others may get 5-9 seats and a vote share of 8.7 per cent, the poll said.

In Nagaland, the exit poll claimed a victory for the NDPP-BJP which is likely to get 25-31 seats with 38.4 per cent vote share and the NPF likely to bag 19-25 seats with a vote share of 27.1 per cent.

The Congress in Nagaland is set to lose a lot with the poll predicting 0-4 seats with a vote share of 19.7 per cent, while others may get 6-10 seats with a vote share of 14.8 per cent, according to CVoter.

Each of the three states has a 60-member assembly and a party would need 31 seats to get a clear majority.

The results for the three states would be out on March 3.

While Tripura went to polls last Sunday last, voting was held in Meghalaya and Nagaland today.&nbsp;

The results for all three states will be out on March 3

Two exit polls today predicted that the BJP will dethrone the Left front from power in Tripura. According to the exit polls, the BJP will also consolidate its position in two other northeastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland. JanKiBaat-NewsX has predicted that the BJP-IPFT alliance in Tripura will win 35-45 seats with a vote share of 51 per cent. While another exit poll by AxisMyIndia predicts 44-50 seats for the BJP-IPFT with a vote share of 49 per cent and others may get 0-3 seats with a vote share of 11 per cent. The ruling Left front in Tripura is likely to get 14-23 seats with vote share of 45-46 per cent, while AxisMyIndia poll predicted the Left to win 9-15 seats with a vote share of 40 per cent. The CVoter Exit Poll has predicted a close finish in Tripura, with the CPI-M likely to get 26 to 34 seats with 44.3 per cent vote share, the BJP and its allies 24 to 32 seats with a vote share of 42.8 per cent, while the Congress may win only 0-2 seats with a vote share of 7.2 per cent. In Meghalaya where the Congress is in power, the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll shows that the National People's Party (NPP) is set to gain with 23-27 seats while the BJP will get 8-12 seats, with vote shares of 39 and 12 per cent respectively. The Congress is predicted to win 13-17 seats with a voteshare of 21 per cent and others are likely to get 2 to 6 seats. In Nagaland, the BJP-NDPP alliance is likely to storm the ruling NPF bastion as it is predicted to win 27-32 seats with a vote share of 48 per cent, against NPF's 20-25 seats and a vote share of 42 per cent, according to the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll. The Congress in Nagaland is likely to get 0-2 seats with a vote share of 4.4 per cent and others are likely to get 5-7 seats with a vote share of 5-6 per cent. In Meghalaya, the CVoter exit poll predicts a close finish, with the Congress likely to get 13-19 seats and the NPP 17 to 23 seats, with vote shares of 36.5 and 29.4 per cent respectively. The BJP in Meghalaya is likely to get 4-8 seats with a vote share of 16.6 per cent. The UDP-HSPDP likely to bag 8-12 seats and 8.8. Per cent vote share, while others may get 5-9 seats and a vote share of 8.7 per cent, the poll said. In Nagaland, the exit poll claimed a victory for the NDPP-BJP which is likely to get 25-31 seats with 38.4 per cent vote share and the NPF likely to bag 19-25 seats with a vote share of 27.1 per cent. The Congress in Nagaland is set to lose a lot with the poll predicting 0-4 seats with a vote share of 19.7 per cent, while others may get 6-10 seats with a vote share of 14.8 per cent, according to CVoter. Each of the three states has a 60-member assembly and a party would need 31 seats to get a clear majority. The results for the three states would be out on March 3. While Tripura went to polls last Sunday last, voting was held in Meghalaya and Nagaland today.

Exit polls predict BJP win in Tripura, party to consolidate position in Meghalaya, Nagaland

The voter turnout in Nagaland and Meghalaya till 4 pm was recorded as 75&nbsp;per cent and 67&nbsp;per cent respectively.&nbsp;

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75% &amp; 67% voting turnout recorded respectively in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> assembly polls till 4 pm. Voting continues
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968460750258716672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Voter turnout till till 1 pm- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: 27.75% ; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a>: 56%
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968395930151026688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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38% voter turnout recorded in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a> and 20% voter turnout recorded in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a> till 11 am.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968371463794446337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Voting for the 60-member assemblies is scheduled from 7 am to 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

While the two states have a 60-member house each, voting will be held only for 59 constituencies in both.

In Meghalaya, the election has been countermanded in Williamnagar in the wake of the killing of an NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast, while in Nagaland, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

A total of 361 candidates are in the fray, while over 18.4 lakh voters can exercise their voting rights. Out of the 3,000 polling booths, webcasting will be done at 193 polling stations, while 312 micro observers have been deployed.

Restrictions on the conduct of any exit poll and publication and dissemination of result of such exit poll have also been imposed till 4:30 pm Wednesday, reports suggest.

The results of the polls in the two states will be declared on Saturday, along with those of Tripura.

Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm

The voter turnout in Nagaland and Meghalaya till 4 pm was recorded as 75 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. 75% & 67% voting turnout recorded respectively in #Nagaland & #Meghalaya assembly polls till 4 pm. Voting continues — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × Voter turnout till till 1 pm- #Meghalaya: 27.75% ; #Nagaland: 56% — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × 38% voter turnout recorded in #Nagaland and 20% voter turnout recorded in #Meghalaya till 11 am. — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × Voting for the 60-member assemblies is scheduled from 7 am to 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm. While the two states have a 60-member house each, voting will be held only for 59 constituencies in both. In Meghalaya, the election has been countermanded in Williamnagar in the wake of the killing of an NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast, while in Nagaland, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency. A total of 361 candidates are in the fray, while over 18.4 lakh voters can exercise their voting rights. Out of the 3,000 polling booths, webcasting will be done at 193 polling stations, while 312 micro observers have been deployed. Restrictions on the conduct of any exit poll and publication and dissemination of result of such exit poll have also been imposed till 4:30 pm Wednesday, reports suggest. The results of the polls in the two states will be declared on Saturday, along with those of Tripura.

Meghalaya elections see 67% voter turnout, Nagaland 75%

One person died and two were injured in clashes that broke&nbsp;off between groups of Naga People&#39;s Front and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party in Nagaland.&nbsp;

The clashes between the two groups erupted near a polling booth in Akuluto.

The conflict did not affect&nbsp;the polls and&nbsp;voting continued in the polling station.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a>: 1 person dead, 2 injured after clash erupted between groups of Naga People&#39;s Front and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party near a polling booth in Akuluto. The polling process was not disturbed.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968394308654116864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier a person was injured in a bomb blast at a polling station in Nagaland&#39;s Mon district.&nbsp;

The bomb was planted in Mon district&#39;s Tizit in the state.&nbsp;

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One person injured in a bomb blast in a polling station Mon District&#39;s Tizit, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nagaland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nagaland</a> . <a href="https://t.co/g1EaiwqYbC">pic.twitter.com/g1EaiwqYbC</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968328347230130180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Polls for the legislative assembly seats are underway in Nagaland and Meghalaya today.

Nagaland has 60 constituencies however the polls&nbsp;are conducted for just 59 seats as The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

The polling is scheduled from 7 am to 4 pm. However, the votings in the interior part of the state are expected to conclude before 3 pm.

The results of the polls will be announced Saturday.&nbsp;

One person died and two were injured in clashes that broke off between groups of Naga People's Front and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party in Nagaland. The clashes between the two groups erupted near a polling booth in Akuluto. The conflict did not affect the polls and voting continued in the polling station. #Nagaland: 1 person dead, 2 injured after clash erupted between groups of Naga People's Front and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party near a polling booth in Akuluto. The polling process was not disturbed. — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × Earlier a person was injured in a bomb blast at a polling station in Nagaland's Mon district. The bomb was planted in Mon district's Tizit in the state. One person injured in a bomb blast in a polling station Mon District's Tizit, #Nagaland . pic.twitter.com/g1EaiwqYbC — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × Polls for the legislative assembly seats are underway in Nagaland and Meghalaya today. Nagaland has 60 constituencies however the polls are conducted for just 59 seats as The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency. The polling is scheduled from 7 am to 4 pm. However, the votings in the interior part of the state are expected to conclude before 3 pm. The results of the polls will be announced Saturday.

Nagaland elections: 1 dead in clashes, 1 injured in bomb blast

The manner in which the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has been openly warning voters against electing an anti-Christian party &ndash; the BJP, it would have us believe that the Church has a moral hold over the Naga people. If that is so, the effects of that moral authority are neither tangible nor visible. And while corruption is rampant in the entire North Eastern region, it is the bane of Nagaland.

The national highway from Dimapur to Kohima and beyond to the state of Manipur (now known as Asian Highway-1) is the most decrepit. It is a mockery of the central funds repeatedly sanctioned over many decades. Indeed the roads of Nagaland are an indicator of a systemic governance malfunction. The mansions you see off the beaten track also tells you where public money has been invested. One is tempted to ask why the Church has failed to rein in corruption if it is such a moral force.

The Naga conflict, dating back to India&rsquo;s Independence (Nagaland declared Independence from India on August 14, 1947), has gone through many contortions to arrive at the present stage. Today the National Socialist Council of Nagalim led by Th Muivah a Tangkhul Naga from the hills of Manipur and the late Isaac Swu from Nagaland, hence, the acronym NSCN-IM, is the prime negotiator for the peace deal in Nagaland and other Naga-inhabited territories in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam &ndash; a proposition that is as contentious and thorny as it can get and which has got successive central governments in a tailspin.

On August 3, 2015, the Modi Government which said it was serious about bringing the Naga conflict to a close, signed a Framework Agreement with the bare points listed out and which needed to be fleshed out after consultation with various stakeholders. The interlocutor, in this case, RN Ravi, a former IB Special Director has taken his task as a mission and for the first time brought in several civil society groups as stakeholders into the conversation as a consensus building exercise to ensure that the terms of engagement are acceptable to all. It is not easy to get this far.&nbsp;

The NSCN (IM) is the most intransigent insurgent group that has seen many governments come and go. It is well acquainted with the finer points of negotiations and the semantics of it and that often is the reason why talks don&rsquo;t progress beyond a point. But over the years the word &ldquo;sovereignty&rdquo; has been dropped out of the talking points. However, that does not make things any simpler considering the homeland contestations of the Nagas. They believe that the hills of Manipur are the original home of the Naga people and that they were separated by the tyranny of history in 1947 and earlier. But the word &lsquo;Naga&rsquo; itself is contested. It includes a disparate group of hill tribes in the easternmost frontier of India, who the British, for the purpose of better administration, classed as &lsquo;Naga.&rsquo; And herein lies the rub!

Successive state governments in Nagaland, barring SC Jamir a former chief minister, have kowtowed to the NSCN (IM) on account of its firepower. Many more Nagas have been killed in internecine clashes based on ideological differences, than by the Indian army which was sent there by Nehru to put down the uprising when it first started. Jamir, a Congressman and now the Governor of Odisha had felt that the contentious Naga conflict was pulling the state backwards and suggested alternative ways forward. The NSCN (IM) contested this and the rebel group has no love lost for Jamir. They have made several attempts on his life. The NSCN (IM) in fact made sure that their man Neiphiu Rio was made the chief minister of Nagaland in 2003&ndash;08, 2008&ndash;13 and 2013&ndash;14). Rio is the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served three consecutive terms until he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and became MP.

Interestingly, Neiphiu Rio has now returned to the chaotic state politics of Nagaland which has seen three Chief Ministers since May 2014. Rio had joined national politics with the idea of getting a ministerial berth in Delhi but that did not happen. The Nagaland People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) of which Rio has been a founding member is now led by the 81-year-old, Dr Shurhozelie who does not want to relinquish his post or to take cognizance of the changing realities in Nagaland vis-a-vis the peace talks. On January 18 this year Neiphiu Rio formally joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) which also asked him to lead the 2018 election. Rio clearly has his task marked out. Interestingly the BJP which until a month ago was an alliance partner of the NPF &ndash;led Government in Nagaland has severed ties with the Party and also is now aligned to the NDPP.

Political analysts in Nagaland allege that the reason why the NBCC is so incensed with the BJP is because it is seen as an ally of Neiphiu Rio the man who has given the NSCN(IM) a free rein of Nagaland and had in a business summit held recently in Dimapur promised to hand over part of the Intanki forest &ndash; which is very dear to the heart of the Nagas- to the NSCN (IM) as part of the settlement. The Naga people see this as a complete sell-out to the NSCN(IM). The Intanki forest, now a Wildlife Sanctuary, is a verdant forest reserve in eastern Nagaland. It is 37 km away from Dimapur and 111 km from Kohima and spread over 200 sq km. Home to the hoolock gibbons, elephants, wild buffaloes (Mithun), sambhars, barking deer and the famous hornbill amongst others, this forest is the only carbon sink left in Nagaland. It is also alleged that the NSCN (IM) cadres have been felling trees within this reserved forest for commercial purposes.&nbsp;

The Nagas fear that this sanctuary will go out of their hands. To say this openly would be suicidal for the Naga people. Yet they know that if the NDPP-BJP and those inclined to ally with these two parties come to power in Nagaland, the Naga people are likely to lose their grip over the Intanki Forest. Hence the NBCC was used as a public platform to caution the people not to vote for BJP or parties aligned with it (meaning the NDPP). The only alibi that the NBCC could use to defeat the NDPP-BJP coalition is to rake up the anti-Christian activities of the Sangh Parivar and groups like the Bajrang Dal which are harassing Christian missionaries in other parts of India.

It remains to be seen whether the NBCC warning has any traction among large sections of Nagas. They are known to be politically astute and money has always been a key determinant in Nagaland elections. In fact, Naga chieftains are often used by political parties to bring people to the polling booths to vote for particular candidates. In the last election when this writer visited interior Nagaland, there were polling booths where the village chieftain voted for the entire village even as Election Commission hoardings on the Dimapur-Kohima highway spoke of free and fair elections and showed individuals with their black-inked forefingers. This is the ambiguity of elections in this country of 1.3 billion people who never fail to use their enterprise when the opportunity presents itself. No wonder elections in India are termed the &ldquo;dance of democracy&rdquo; except that such dances can sometimes be fatal.

As the people of Nagaland ready themselves for the 13th Assembly election which is fraught with ambiguities, such as the allegedly much hated Neiphiu Rio being elected unopposed, it would be interesting to watch how things finally play out in this state of the famous Hornbill Festival. People are keeping their fingers crossed that voting will be incident free considering the call earlier given by a confederation of NGOs demanding that the Naga solution should precede elections. Apparently the Interlocutor, RN Ravi had requested this confederation named the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) to allow for free and fair polling as the talks are progressing on schedule.

It is in this murky scenario that the 227 candidates who have filed their nominations are heading for the polls. The NPF is contesting 58 seats, the NDPP 40 seats, the BJP 20, and Congress 18 apart from Independents. It is intuitive that the Congress which had provided three chief ministers to Nagaland is relegated to a position lower than that of the BJP. The Congress is apparently trying to work out a post-poll alignment with the NPF. This time 5 brave women are also in the fray. We can only keep our fingers crossed that democracy wins the day! &nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), has been openly warned voters against electing an anti-Christian party, that is the BJP.

The manner in which the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has been openly warning voters against electing an anti-Christian party – the BJP, it would have us believe that the Church has a moral hold over the Naga people. If that is so, the effects of that moral authority are neither tangible nor visible. And while corruption is rampant in the entire North Eastern region, it is the bane of Nagaland. The national highway from Dimapur to Kohima and beyond to the state of Manipur (now known as Asian Highway-1) is the most decrepit. It is a mockery of the central funds repeatedly sanctioned over many decades. Indeed the roads of Nagaland are an indicator of a systemic governance malfunction. The mansions you see off the beaten track also tells you where public money has been invested. One is tempted to ask why the Church has failed to rein in corruption if it is such a moral force. The Naga conflict, dating back to India’s Independence (Nagaland declared Independence from India on August 14, 1947), has gone through many contortions to arrive at the present stage. Today the National Socialist Council of Nagalim led by Th Muivah a Tangkhul Naga from the hills of Manipur and the late Isaac Swu from Nagaland, hence, the acronym NSCN-IM, is the prime negotiator for the peace deal in Nagaland and other Naga-inhabited territories in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam – a proposition that is as contentious and thorny as it can get and which has got successive central governments in a tailspin. On August 3, 2015, the Modi Government which said it was serious about bringing the Naga conflict to a close, signed a Framework Agreement with the bare points listed out and which needed to be fleshed out after consultation with various stakeholders. The interlocutor, in this case, RN Ravi, a former IB Special Director has taken his task as a mission and for the first time brought in several civil society groups as stakeholders into the conversation as a consensus building exercise to ensure that the terms of engagement are acceptable to all. It is not easy to get this far. The NSCN (IM) is the most intransigent insurgent group that has seen many governments come and go. It is well acquainted with the finer points of negotiations and the semantics of it and that often is the reason why talks don’t progress beyond a point. But over the years the word “sovereignty” has been dropped out of the talking points. However, that does not make things any simpler considering the homeland contestations of the Nagas. They believe that the hills of Manipur are the original home of the Naga people and that they were separated by the tyranny of history in 1947 and earlier. But the word ‘Naga’ itself is contested. It includes a disparate group of hill tribes in the easternmost frontier of India, who the British, for the purpose of better administration, classed as ‘Naga.’ And herein lies the rub! Successive state governments in Nagaland, barring SC Jamir a former chief minister, have kowtowed to the NSCN (IM) on account of its firepower. Many more Nagas have been killed in internecine clashes based on ideological differences, than by the Indian army which was sent there by Nehru to put down the uprising when it first started. Jamir, a Congressman and now the Governor of Odisha had felt that the contentious Naga conflict was pulling the state backwards and suggested alternative ways forward. The NSCN (IM) contested this and the rebel group has no love lost for Jamir. They have made several attempts on his life. The NSCN (IM) in fact made sure that their man Neiphiu Rio was made the chief minister of Nagaland in 2003–08, 2008–13 and 2013–14). Rio is the only Nagaland Chief Minister to have served three consecutive terms until he contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and became MP. Interestingly, Neiphiu Rio has now returned to the chaotic state politics of Nagaland which has seen three Chief Ministers since May 2014. Rio had joined national politics with the idea of getting a ministerial berth in Delhi but that did not happen. The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) of which Rio has been a founding member is now led by the 81-year-old, Dr Shurhozelie who does not want to relinquish his post or to take cognizance of the changing realities in Nagaland vis-a-vis the peace talks. On January 18 this year Neiphiu Rio formally joined the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) which also asked him to lead the 2018 election. Rio clearly has his task marked out. Interestingly the BJP which until a month ago was an alliance partner of the NPF –led Government in Nagaland has severed ties with the Party and also is now aligned to the NDPP. Political analysts in Nagaland allege that the reason why the NBCC is so incensed with the BJP is because it is seen as an ally of Neiphiu Rio the man who has given the NSCN(IM) a free rein of Nagaland and had in a business summit held recently in Dimapur promised to hand over part of the Intanki forest – which is very dear to the heart of the Nagas- to the NSCN (IM) as part of the settlement. The Naga people see this as a complete sell-out to the NSCN(IM). The Intanki forest, now a Wildlife Sanctuary, is a verdant forest reserve in eastern Nagaland. It is 37 km away from Dimapur and 111 km from Kohima and spread over 200 sq km. Home to the hoolock gibbons, elephants, wild buffaloes (Mithun), sambhars, barking deer and the famous hornbill amongst others, this forest is the only carbon sink left in Nagaland. It is also alleged that the NSCN (IM) cadres have been felling trees within this reserved forest for commercial purposes. The Nagas fear that this sanctuary will go out of their hands. To say this openly would be suicidal for the Naga people. Yet they know that if the NDPP-BJP and those inclined to ally with these two parties come to power in Nagaland, the Naga people are likely to lose their grip over the Intanki Forest. Hence the NBCC was used as a public platform to caution the people not to vote for BJP or parties aligned with it (meaning the NDPP). The only alibi that the NBCC could use to defeat the NDPP-BJP coalition is to rake up the anti-Christian activities of the Sangh Parivar and groups like the Bajrang Dal which are harassing Christian missionaries in other parts of India. It remains to be seen whether the NBCC warning has any traction among large sections of Nagas. They are known to be politically astute and money has always been a key determinant in Nagaland elections. In fact, Naga chieftains are often used by political parties to bring people to the polling booths to vote for particular candidates. In the last election when this writer visited interior Nagaland, there were polling booths where the village chieftain voted for the entire village even as Election Commission hoardings on the Dimapur-Kohima highway spoke of free and fair elections and showed individuals with their black-inked forefingers. This is the ambiguity of elections in this country of 1.3 billion people who never fail to use their enterprise when the opportunity presents itself. No wonder elections in India are termed the “dance of democracy” except that such dances can sometimes be fatal. As the people of Nagaland ready themselves for the 13th Assembly election which is fraught with ambiguities, such as the allegedly much hated Neiphiu Rio being elected unopposed, it would be interesting to watch how things finally play out in this state of the famous Hornbill Festival. People are keeping their fingers crossed that voting will be incident free considering the call earlier given by a confederation of NGOs demanding that the Naga solution should precede elections. Apparently the Interlocutor, RN Ravi had requested this confederation named the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) to allow for free and fair polling as the talks are progressing on schedule. It is in this murky scenario that the 227 candidates who have filed their nominations are heading for the polls. The NPF is contesting 58 seats, the NDPP 40 seats, the BJP 20, and Congress 18 apart from Independents. It is intuitive that the Congress which had provided three chief ministers to Nagaland is relegated to a position lower than that of the BJP. The Congress is apparently trying to work out a post-poll alignment with the NPF. This time 5 brave women are also in the fray. We can only keep our fingers crossed that democracy wins the day! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: If Church is a moral force in Nagaland, why has it failed to control corruption?

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

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Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

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Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

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President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

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Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday&#39;s win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, Dubai Police say another 'clearance' required before body can be released Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm. Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a UN Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress. PSG's Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

WION Morning News Brief, February 27, 2018

There are three certainties in the outcome of the Nagaland Assembly election. The first is that the Congress will not form the Government. The second is that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not form the Government on its own. And the third is that one of the two main regional parties of the state will emerge with the largest number of seats.&nbsp;

This situation may appear to be even-handed for both the national parties, but it&rsquo;s not so. The Congress is at a distinct disadvantage vis-&agrave;-vis the BJP because it is a loner in the State. The BJP has tied up with the formidable National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Moreover, it&rsquo;s open to doing business with the other major contender, the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF). It would be a miracle if either of the two regional outfits align with the Congress, even if for opportunistic reasons, after the results are out on March 3.

The reason why neither the NDPP nor the NPF sees the Congress either as a threat or a potential partner is simple. The Congress is contesting just 18 out of the 60 Assembly seats. Apparently, it ran out of both money and candidates. &nbsp;This is indeed dismal for a party that has given three chief ministers to the State &mdash; and also given that Nagaland&rsquo;s demographic profile (with nearly 90 per cent of the population being Christian) is considered just the right one for the party&rsquo;s &lsquo;secular&rsquo; image.&nbsp;

The BJP, on the other hand, is better placed, with its present alliance and with the prospect of a different tie-up if the occasion demands. At 20, it is also contesting a slightly higher number of seats than the Congress, with the NDPP having its nominees in the rest. And, although it is subordinate to the regional party, the BJP has been aggressive in its campaigns, with the party&rsquo;s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning there. The contrast with its national rival is evident. The Congress has virtually thrown in the towel, with no national leader of substance bothering to canvas for the election.

The start of the Congress&rsquo;s downfall can be traced to some five years ago. It had won eight seats in the 2013 Assembly election (having fought on 56 seats) and emerged as the main Opposition. This was bad enough numerically. But less than two years later, worse followed. All of these eight MLAs crossed over to the NPF. Various local factors can be attributed to this migration, but there was also a failure at the Congress&rsquo;s central leadership level to effectively handle the dissatisfaction of its State representatives. It&rsquo;s a failure similar to that we have seen repeatedly in other northeastern States, with Arunachal Pradesh and Assam being two prominent instances.&nbsp;

By contrast, the BJP has been gaining ground since around the same time. It had just one Legislator from the 11 seats it contested, but its tally shot up to four when three Nationalist Congress Party MLAs switched to its side. The party has also played smart. It realised the futility of making a dent on its own. The NPF was the obvious candidate to woo. The NPF had won 38 seats and secured 47 per cent of the total votes in the 2013 Assembly poll. Not only did the BJP align with the NPF, it very recently decided for tactical reasons, to &lsquo;temporarily&rsquo; dump it in favour of the NDPP. The NPF, though, remains part of the NDA grouping at the Centre.

The flip side of the rise of the two regional parties is the political instability that has besieged Nagaland. This should be food for thought for the voters when they troop to the polling booths on February 27. The State has had four chief ministers &mdash; and thus as many regimes &mdash; since May 2014. The main reason for the fluidity has been the infidelity of the MLAs. The NDPP&rsquo;s formation received a fillip when senior NPF leader and former Chief Minister Neiphu Rio joined its ranks. Since then, the NDPP, which began as a breakaway faction of the NPF, has emerged as a strong entity, with more arrivals from the original party, and Rio is the chief ministerial candidate in case the NDPP-BJP coalition wins.

But the NPF is not a spent force yet. Aware of the crisis it faces, the party has sought to stem the tide by giving tickets to just 10 of the 48 sitting Legislators. It has also made light of the desertions, saying that those who left had become liabilities for the party.&nbsp;

Besides political instability, the other issue which has troubled voters of the state for years is the failure of governments, both in the State and at the Centre, to end the civil strife. They are curious and even anxious to know more about the framework agreement which the Centre has finalised after talks with the insurgent Naga group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah). The framework agreement had been inked by the two parties some two years ago, but its details are still under wraps. The Prime Minister said at a rally in the State that the political solution in the pipeline would be &ldquo;honourable and well-deserving for the people of Nagaland&rdquo;. A few local parties had threatened to boycott the February 27 election in protest against the Centre&rsquo;s failure to make the details public, but that call fizzled out. However, the Centre and the incoming State regime will not be able to avoid the contentious issue for long.&nbsp;

Nagaland&rsquo;s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord. Minus one of these, the potential for socio-economic disruptions will always linger. The BJP-led regime at the Centre will have nobody to blame but itself in case the failure happens even after Kohima gets a government that is aligned with it.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Nagaland’s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord.

There are three certainties in the outcome of the Nagaland Assembly election. The first is that the Congress will not form the Government. The second is that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not form the Government on its own. And the third is that one of the two main regional parties of the state will emerge with the largest number of seats. This situation may appear to be even-handed for both the national parties, but it’s not so. The Congress is at a distinct disadvantage vis-à-vis the BJP because it is a loner in the State. The BJP has tied up with the formidable National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). Moreover, it’s open to doing business with the other major contender, the Naga People’s Front (NPF). It would be a miracle if either of the two regional outfits align with the Congress, even if for opportunistic reasons, after the results are out on March 3. The reason why neither the NDPP nor the NPF sees the Congress either as a threat or a potential partner is simple. The Congress is contesting just 18 out of the 60 Assembly seats. Apparently, it ran out of both money and candidates. This is indeed dismal for a party that has given three chief ministers to the State — and also given that Nagaland’s demographic profile (with nearly 90 per cent of the population being Christian) is considered just the right one for the party’s ‘secular’ image. The BJP, on the other hand, is better placed, with its present alliance and with the prospect of a different tie-up if the occasion demands. At 20, it is also contesting a slightly higher number of seats than the Congress, with the NDPP having its nominees in the rest. And, although it is subordinate to the regional party, the BJP has been aggressive in its campaigns, with the party’s top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning there. The contrast with its national rival is evident. The Congress has virtually thrown in the towel, with no national leader of substance bothering to canvas for the election. The start of the Congress’s downfall can be traced to some five years ago. It had won eight seats in the 2013 Assembly election (having fought on 56 seats) and emerged as the main Opposition. This was bad enough numerically. But less than two years later, worse followed. All of these eight MLAs crossed over to the NPF. Various local factors can be attributed to this migration, but there was also a failure at the Congress’s central leadership level to effectively handle the dissatisfaction of its State representatives. It’s a failure similar to that we have seen repeatedly in other northeastern States, with Arunachal Pradesh and Assam being two prominent instances. By contrast, the BJP has been gaining ground since around the same time. It had just one Legislator from the 11 seats it contested, but its tally shot up to four when three Nationalist Congress Party MLAs switched to its side. The party has also played smart. It realised the futility of making a dent on its own. The NPF was the obvious candidate to woo. The NPF had won 38 seats and secured 47 per cent of the total votes in the 2013 Assembly poll. Not only did the BJP align with the NPF, it very recently decided for tactical reasons, to ‘temporarily’ dump it in favour of the NDPP. The NPF, though, remains part of the NDA grouping at the Centre. The flip side of the rise of the two regional parties is the political instability that has besieged Nagaland. This should be food for thought for the voters when they troop to the polling booths on February 27. The State has had four chief ministers — and thus as many regimes — since May 2014. The main reason for the fluidity has been the infidelity of the MLAs. The NDPP’s formation received a fillip when senior NPF leader and former Chief Minister Neiphu Rio joined its ranks. Since then, the NDPP, which began as a breakaway faction of the NPF, has emerged as a strong entity, with more arrivals from the original party, and Rio is the chief ministerial candidate in case the NDPP-BJP coalition wins. But the NPF is not a spent force yet. Aware of the crisis it faces, the party has sought to stem the tide by giving tickets to just 10 of the 48 sitting Legislators. It has also made light of the desertions, saying that those who left had become liabilities for the party. Besides political instability, the other issue which has troubled voters of the state for years is the failure of governments, both in the State and at the Centre, to end the civil strife. They are curious and even anxious to know more about the framework agreement which the Centre has finalised after talks with the insurgent Naga group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah). The framework agreement had been inked by the two parties some two years ago, but its details are still under wraps. The Prime Minister said at a rally in the State that the political solution in the pipeline would be “honourable and well-deserving for the people of Nagaland”. A few local parties had threatened to boycott the February 27 election in protest against the Centre’s failure to make the details public, but that call fizzled out. However, the Centre and the incoming State regime will not be able to avoid the contentious issue for long. Nagaland’s all-round development and inclusive growth will depend on both political stability and a broadly acceptable Naga accord. Minus one of these, the potential for socio-economic disruptions will always linger. The BJP-led regime at the Centre will have nobody to blame but itself in case the failure happens even after Kohima gets a government that is aligned with it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Nagaland's political instability is the biggest challenge to BJP, Congress and others

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