Temjen Imna Along of the Nagaland Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the assembly election from the Alongtaki constituency on Thursday. By a margin of 3,748 votes, the state BJP chief defeated Janata Dal (United) candidate J Lanu Longchar. He received 9,274 votes, representing a 62.5 percent vote share. According to the most recent counting trends shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) at 3:05 p.m. today, the ruling alliance of the BJP and the NDPP has won 19 seats so far.
Earlier in the day, Nagaland Chief Minister and NDPP candidate Neiphiu Rio defeated Congress candidate Seyievilie Sachu by a massive margin of 15,824 votes in the Northern Angami-II Assembly constituency.
He received 17,045 votes, accounting for 92.87 percent of all votes cast in the seat. Today, Hekani Jakhalu, a candidate of the ruling NDPP, became the state’s first female MLA since its inception 60 years ago, after winning the Dimapur-III Assembly constituency.
She defeated Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate Azheto Zhimomi by 1,536 votes. Jakhalu received 14,395 votes, accounting for 45.16 percent of all votes cast in the seat. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which ran in 15 Assembly seats this year, was also able to open an account in the state.
The National People’s Party and the Nationalist Congress Party each received four and two seats. Independent candidates Neisatuo Mero and Kevipodi Sophie were elected to the seats of Pfutsero and Southern Angami-I, respectively. Meanwhile, Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton expressed confidence that the ruling NDPP-BJP alliance would return to power with a landslide.
Until 3.20 p.m., he was leading by 8,841 votes.
“As per the latest trends, our NDPP-BJP alliance is comfortably ahead and we are on course to return to power with a thumping majority under the leadership of our CM, Nephiu Rio,” Patton told ANI, referring to the ruling alliance’s commanding lead over rival players.
