Yitachu said that the LJP (Ram Vilas) has decided to participate in the upcoming ULB election of Nagaland though not disclosing the numbers of candidates to be fielded in both the municipal and town council but affirmed that the party would play a pivotal role in the upcoming election “with or without” party tickets
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Spokesperson, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and former Nagaland education minister, Yitachu, on Saturday announced that the party will contest the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in the state.
Yitachu informed this after an executive meeting was held at the Tourist Lodge, Dimapur, where he also briefed that the decision to contest in the ULB election was decided in the meeting concerning local self-governance at the town level keeping in mind to address the common problems faced by many of the commoners in the district or the state including that of water supply roads and footpaths, drainage systems, and electricity, which he said involves in every sphere of lives.
He said unless the people participate, their rights and their voices cannot be heard and to listen to it to many issues, Yitachu mentioned that the LJP (Ram Vilas) has decided to participate in the upcoming ULB election of Nagaland though not disclosing the numbers of candidates to be fielded in both the municipal and town council but affirmed that the party would play a pivotal role in the upcoming election “with or without” party tickets.
Elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) for four terms from Meluri A/C in 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018, and having served the people of Nagaland in different capacities as minister in different departments, the former education minister, Yitachu, when queried on the women reservation, he maintained that it was not required and at the same time advisable not to “open the book of the past” but to march ahead with positive thinking.
He later said that since women reservation was already enforced in the ULB or Town Council elections in the state, the party would field its women candidates if found any suitable candidate (s).
Nagaland State Election Commission releases list of political parties
Meanwhile, the Nagaland State Election Commission has officially released the list of political parties with their corresponding symbols for the upcoming municipal and town council elections to be held on June 26.
According to the Nagaland State Election Commission, the decision was made in compliance with the Nagaland Municipal Act 2023, and the election symbol (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968 that outlines that the symbols that would be used by the recognized national and state parties registered but unrecognized parties, and independent candidates.
The Nagaland state election commission informed that the lists included symbols for major national parties including the Aam Aadmi Party (Broom), Communist Party of India (Marxist) —hammer, sickle, and star, BJP (Lotus), Indian National Congress (Hand), and the Bahujan Samaj Party (Elephant) while symbols for Nagaland state reserved included Cock for Naga People’s Front (NPF), Globe for Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)-Helicopter, while the Nationalist Congress Party’s symbol is a clock.
State parties recognized in a state but granted a concession to use their reserved symbol in another state included the Nagaland Congress (Dao), Rising People’s Party (Pen nib with seven rays), and the United Naga Democratic Party (Hat).
However, the state commission said that the nomination of candidates set up by the party in such other states would also be required to be subscribed by one elector of the ward as proposer.
Further, it also provided 30 free symbols which included an almirah, flute, auto-rickshaw, gas stove, bat, letterbox, battery torch, plastering trowel, belt, ring, binoculars, safety pin, box, scissors, calculators, sewing machine, camera, spanner, computer, table, cutting pliers, trumpet, diamond, violin, dish antenna, water tank, earrings.
In another communique issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), Nagaland, stating that its attention has been drawn to a news item concerning Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) about abstention from participating in the Nagaland ULB elections, the commission said while it is cognizant of the stated context of the issue surrounding the ENPO’s stand, it is of the view that the method adopted to express their stand on collective abstention from participating in the ULB election needs a “reasoned reconsideration”.
Maintaining that firstly, it is a constitutional right for every eligible citizen to vote, conversely, the option of not to vote is an understood extension of the right, the State Election Commissioner, Nagaland, T John Longkumer, former DGP (retd), Nagaland, however, stated that the right needs to be understood in the light of individual freedom and choice by also sharing that voting per se is singular basing on the principle of one person, one vote which is not a collective instrument therefore, he said it is a settled principle that an individual voter enjoys the “freedom of conscious” to exercise the rights without any “external” or undue influence from any individual or organization.
Stating that the ULB elections in the state of Nagaland have been under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India with notice of contempt already being issued to several entities in the state and that any attempt to disturb or disrupt the electoral process by any individual or organization in violation of the Court orders would potentially have serious legal ramifications, Longkumer also said that the constitution of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) like the municipal and town councils in Nagaland through the participation of the local communities in the electoral process is an essential requirement for incorporating the common aspirations and grievances of the local populace as is reflected in the development and progress of the municipalities.
Further, he said that the Commission is committed to holding free and fair elections to all the municipal and town councils in the state as already notified on April 29 this year, and he hoped that through these elections, the people in the municipality areas would be able to freely and willingly participate in exercising the constitutional right to vote and/or to contest as is deemed necessary to discharge the vital functions of the local self-governance.
He later on behalf of the SEC requested the ENPO to reconsider its stance of asking citizens to abstain from participating in the upcoming ULB elections while ensuring that all polling processes would continue as per the election schedule.