Assembly polls 2018: 75% turnout recorded in Nagaland, 67% in Meghalaya

SHILLONG: The voting in northeast State Assembly elections concluded on Tuesday with Nagaland recording 75 per cent voters turnout and Meghalaya witnessing 67 per cent.

There are a total of 59 assembly constituencies in both the states. The results of the State Assembly polls will be declared on March 3.

The polling in Nagaland was marred by reports of a clash in Zunheboto district between supporters of the ruling Naga People's Front and the BJP. 

In 2013, the voter turnout in Nagaland was more than 90 per cent while in Meghalaya it was 89 per cent. Voting took place for 59 seats each in both the states.

The results will be declared on March 3.

While Congress is sure of retaining power in Meghalaya, the BJP and regional parties were equally gung-ho about unseating the ruling party in the northeastern state.

There are 370 candidates in the fray.

The Congress - ruling the state for a decade - has fielded candidates in all 60 seats, of which 59 will go to polls. Seven of its legislators have since quit and jumped on to the bandwagon of the Bharatiya Janata Party, National People's Party (NPP) and newly floated People's Democratic Front (PDF).

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, the chief architect of the Congress's win on 29 seats in the 2013 elections, said that he was confident of increasing the number of its MLAs in the new house.

The BJP, fighting the polls alone by fielding 47 candidates, is equally confident of winning a good number of seats and forming a non-Congress government.

There are 370 candidates in the fray in Meghalaya. A total of 18.4 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 3,083 polling stations in the state.

Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor had said 67 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations have been set up for the first time in the state.

Thirty-two women are in the fray, the maximum so far in electoral politics in the state, he had said.

A total of 11,91,513 voters, including 5,89,806 women exercised their franchise today.

Voting held in 2,156 polling stations as 40 polling stations fall under the Northern Angami-II seat, from where Rio has won unopposed.

In Nagaland, the BJP's hope hinges on its alliance partner NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party) of Neiphiu Rio which is contesting 40 seats. The BJP is fighting 20.

The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland, is contesting only 18 seats, two less than the BJP.

NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

The election process in Nagaland started on a difficult note.

In view of no-election diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations advocating "solution (to the Naga political issue) before the election", political parties initially kept away from poll.

Though filing of nominations started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their nominations only on the penultimate day on February 6. The last day saw a heavy rush of nominees filing papers.