Kohima: Unlike 2019, Nagaland’s sole Lok Sabha seat is set to witness a triangular contest between candidates of the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), the Congress, and an independent.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, four candidates – of the NDPP, the Congress, the NPP, and an independent – contested the election with NDPP nominee Tokheho Yepthomi winning the seat, defeating Congress nominee K.L. Chishi by a margin of 16,344 votes. Yepthomi had also won the 2018 bypoll when sitting member Neiphiu Rio resigned to take over as the state’s Chief Minister.
This time, the NDPP nominated Chumben Murry.
The Congress nominee is S. Supongmeren Jamir and Hayithung Tungoe Lotha is contesting as an Independent.
A debutant in the Parliamentary polls, Murry, also a former state minister, is a combined candidate of the NDPP-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), which leads the opposition-less Nagaland government.
A physician-turned-politician, Murry was the political advisor to the Chief Minister until recently.
Jamir, the President of the state Congress unit and a former MLA, is contesting the parliamentary polls for the first time. Independent candidate Lotha is a social activist, politician and entrepreneur. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on the National Peoples’ Party ticket.
Election to the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat would be held in the first phase of the 7-phase polls on April 19 and counting on June 4.
–IANS
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