North Eastern States Nagaland and Meghalaya will see polls on Saturday and it is still ambiguous who will emerge as the winner in the Assembly Elections of 2013 in these states. These elections are likely to be more crucial to Congress as this will predict so much about the results of 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.
In Nagaland, the unresolved Naga issue and economic progress are some of the major issues dominating Nagaland, where the Naga People’s Front (NPF) headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been in power for a decade.
Political stability is the slogan of all parties in the hill state of Meghalaya, where the Congress is making another bid for power, that has had 23 chief ministers since it was carved out of Assam in 1972.
A total of 188 candidates, including only two women, are in the fray to get elected to the 60-member Nagaland assembly. Forty-nine of the 60 outgoing legislators are seeking re-election.
The ruling NPF has fielded candidates in all 60 seats while the main opposition Congress has put up 57. One third of the 60 constituencies will witness straight fights between the NPF and Congress.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which won two seats in 2008, has 11 candidates. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has two members in the outgoing assembly, has 15 contenders.
According to Chief Electoral Officer J. Alam, 1.1 million people, including 589,505 women, are eligible to vote in 2,023 polling stations.
The NPF has promised to find a durable and honourable settlement to the Naga issue. The Congress too wants a lasting solution to the country’s oldest insurgency.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland entered into a ceasefire with New Delhi in 1997.
Besides 62-years-old Neiphiu Rio, chief minister since March 2003, other prominent candidates are Congress leader Tokheho Yeputhomi, Nagaland Congress chief S.I. Jamir, NCP president Neiba Ndangfrom and Speaker of the outgoing assembly, Kiyanilie Peseyie.
Chief Minister and NPF supremo Rio has repeatedly referred to the Naga issue.
“The NPF, from the beginning, has promised to find a durable and honourable settlement to the Naga issue. We will achieve this through the non-violence,” he said.
The Congress too wants a lasting solution to the Naga issue.
Former chief minister K.L. Chishi said: “A settlement of the Naga problem is everyone’s worry, specially the youth. As long as the issue remains unsolved, there will be no sense of security.”
Meghalaya has repeatedly seen fractured mandates, leading to volatile coalition governments.
A total of 345 candidates, including 122 independents, are in the fray now. For its 60 seats, the ruling Congress has fielded candidates in all constituencies followed by the United Democratic Party (UDP) – 50 seats.
The Purno Sangma-led Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) has 32 candidates while the NCP will contest in 21 seats.
“I am confident the people will give a clear mandate to the Congress,” Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told IANS.
Not just the Congress, major regional groupings are also harping on the need for political stability to ensure economic development.
The UDP, a key ally in the outgoing Congress-led coalition government, is confident of ousting the Congress.
Authorities are not taking any chances following the 36-hour shutdown called by the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council protesting against the elections.
Former Nagaland chief minister S.C. Jamir, a well-informed politician of the northeast, said: “As demanded by the NSCN (I-M) and others, integration of Naga areas of the northeast region is not possible now.”
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland has been demanding a Greater Nagaland by merging all Naga areas of neighbouring states with Nagaland.
“In a democratic country like India, one must try to win the goodwill of the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” Jamir said.
“But they (NSCN) went with armed cadres, set up camps, threatened these states and frightened them. So Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh said we will not give away an inch of land.”
The NSCN-IM, one of the oldest and most powerful of about 30 militant outfits in India’s northeast, earlier fought for an independent homeland for the Nagas.
The NSCN-IM, which has held talks with the central government, entered into a ceasefire with New Delhi in August 1997.