1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election

Elections to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly were held in February 1998 to elect members of the 60 constituencies in Nagaland, India. The Indian National Congress won a majority of the seats[1] and S. C. Jamir was re-appointed as the Chief Minister of Nagaland. The number of constituencies was set as 60 by the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India.[2]

1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election
23 February 1998
All 60 seats in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly
31 seats needed for a majority
Registered260,646
Turnout78.95%
  Majority party
 
Leader S. C. Jamir
Party INC
Leader's seat Aonglenden
Seats before 35
Seats won 53
Seat change 18
Popular vote 50.73%
CM before election

President's Rule
INC

 Elected CM

S. C. Jamir
INC

Regional parties like the Naga People's Front did not contest these elections, and they were joined by the Bharatiya Janata Party in this action.[3] In 43 of the constituencies, the INC candidate was the sole candidate and hence was declared the winner without a poll. In the other 17 constituencies, the INC candidate had to compete with one or more Independents. The Independents managed to win 7 of these seats.

Background

In 1997, the NSCN(I-M) signed a ceasefire agreement with the government.[4] The agreement ensured that while the government would not push for counter-insurgency operations against the NSCN (I-M) cadre and its leadership, the rebels on their part would not target armed forces. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the Naga Hoho, (a tribal body), then demanded that upcoming elections should be postponed till the conclusion of the peace talks. Since the Election Commission wasn't amenable to their arguments, they called for a boycott of the polls[1] even issuing threats to the various political parties where necessary.[5]

Result
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Indian National Congress103,20650.735318
Independents100,22649.2770
Total203,432100.00600
Valid votes203,43298.86
Invalid/blank votes2,3561.14
Total votes205,788100.00
Registered voters/turnout260,64678.95
Source: ECI[6]

Results by constituency
  • Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituency[7]
Assembly Constituency Turnout Winner Runner Up Margin
#k Names % Candidate Party Votes % Candidate Party Votes %
1Dimapur I -I. VikhesheINCElected Unopposed
2Dimapur II-Imtisunget JamirINCElected Unopposed
3Dimapur III13.68%Atovi SumiINC1,95583.83%T. L. AngamiIndependent33714.45%1,618
4Ghaspani I-Dr. V. KanitoINCElected Unopposed
5Ghaspani II-RokonichaINCElected Unopposed
6Tening-T. R. ZeliangINCElected Unopposed
7Peren-Neiba NdangINCElected Unopposed
8Western Angami64.07%Asu KeyhoIndependent5,56255.98%N. T. NakhroINC4,08441.10%1,478
9Kohima Town71.39%T. Abao KireIndependent9,16649.60%Z. ObedINC8,70647.11%460
10Northern Angami I-Dr. Shürhozelie LiezietsuINCElected Unopposed
11Northern Angami II-Neiphiu RioINCElected Unopposed
12Tseminyü-NilloINCElected Unopposed
13Pughoboto-Joshua AchumiINCElected Unopposed
14Southern Angami I64.30%Mavil KhieyaIndependent3,96453.33%K. TaseINC3,28844.24%676
15Southern Angami II-Viswesül PusaINCElected Unopposed
16Pfütsero-Kewekhape TherieINCElected Unopposed
17Chizami-Zhovehu LoheINCElected Unopposed
18Chozuba66.87%Nuzota SwuroINC6,53358.50%Yesonu VeyieIndependent4,52640.53%2,007
19Phek-Zachilhu VadeoINCElected Unopposed
20Meluri76.75%KhuosathoINC7,00173.58%WetetsoIndependent2,40725.30%4,594
21Tuli-T. TaliINCElected Unopposed
22Arkakong-ImtiyangerINCElected Unopposed
23Impur-T. ChubaINCElected Unopposed
24Angetyongpang-Tongpang OzükümINCElected Unopposed
25Mongoya-T. Imtimeren JamirINCElected Unopposed
26Aonglenden-S. C. JamirINCElected Unopposed
27Mokokchung Town-NungshizenbaINCElected Unopposed
28Koridang-T. Nokyu LongcharINCElected Unopposed
29Jangpetkong-I. ImkongINCElected Unopposed
30Alongtaki-Tongpang NungshiINCElected Unopposed
31Akuluto-Kazheto KinimiINCElected Unopposed
32Atoizu-Doshehe Y. SemaINCElected Unopposed
33Suruhoto-Kiyezhe SemaINCElected Unopposed
34Aghunato-Tokheho YepthomiINCElected Unopposed
35Zünheboto57.53%KakhehoIndependent5,21866.83%Ghutoshe SemaINC2,44531.31%2,773
36Satakha-KaitoINCElected Unopposed
37Tyüi-T. C. K. LothaINCElected Unopposed
38Wokha-John LothaINCElected Unopposed
39Sanis-Thomas NgullieINCElected Unopposed
40Bhandari-L. Yanthungo PattonINCElected Unopposed
41Tizit87.99%TingkupINC6,00050.64%YeangphongIndependent5,75348.55%247
42Wakching-P. Enyei KonyakINCElected Unopposed
43Tapi-BongnaoINCElected Unopposed
44Phomching-KongamINCElected Unopposed
45Tehok-W. Wongyuh KonyakINCElected Unopposed
46Mon Town96.02%C. JohnIndependent6,98850.51%N. Thongwang KonyakINC6,64748.04%341
47Aboi92.49%Eyong KonyakINC5,45272.58%HowingIndependent1,95726.05%3,495
48Moka-A. Nyamnyei KonyakIndependentElected Unopposed
49Tamlu99.78%Dr. O. Kongyan PhomINC11,83243.85%B. Phongshak PhomINC15,12056.03%-3,288
50Longleng98.40%Shami AnghIndependent11,84344.05%M. Chemlom PhomINC11,28541.97%558
51Noksen98.58%H. Chuba ChangINC4,62469.17%NokshangIndependent2,04130.53%2,583
52Longkhim Chare-S. Kyukhangba SangtamINCElected Unopposed
53Tuensang Sadar I87.08%P. ChubaIndependent7,01756.35%Changkong ChangINC5,22841.99%1,789
54Tuensang Sadar II77.42%Kejong ChangINC4,47951.94%K. Imlong ChangIndependent4,10447.59%375
55Tobu-Sheakpong KonyakINCElected Unopposed
56Noklak-Sedem KhamingINCElected Unopposed
57Thonoknyu93.83%ShingnyuINC3,02229.97%N. L. AimongIndependent2,45124.31%571
58Shamator–Chessore-K. YamakamINCElected Unopposed
59Seyochung–Sitimi97.04%S. Sethricho SangtamINC7,33751.66%KipiliIndependent6,80947.94%528
60Pungro–Kiphire-R. L. AkambaINCElected Unopposed

Government Formation

On 5 March, S. C. Jamir was sworn in as the Chief Minister, by the Governor Om Prakash Sharma, for his second successive term.[8] In addition, 11 other members of the Legislative assembly were sworn in as ministers in the cabinet. These included the future Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, who was made the Home minister.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Holding of timely election is a constitutional process: Rijiju on Nagaland polls". The Quint. IANS. 30 January 2018. In 1998, the separatist National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and Naga Hoho had called for a poll boycott after it signed a ceasefire with the Indian government in 1997. However, the Congress party which was ruling Nagaland then had swept the elections by winning 53 of 60 seats, as other parties heeded the call.
  2. "DPACO (1976) - Archive Delimitation Orders". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  3. Along Longkumer (26 February 2018). "Nagaland's Cycle of Slogans, Elections, and Elusive Solutions". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 September 2021. It will be worth remembering that as early as 1998 (when Nagaland Assembly election was due at that time), Naga civil society had coined the slogan 'Nagas want solution not election'. Except for the Indian National Congress (INC) under veteran Congressman S.C. Jamir, now the Governor of Odisha, the other parties, including the regional outfit NPC/NPF and even the BJP, had lent their support to the appeal. Terming the Congress as 'anti-Naga', these parties, backed by the NSCN (IM), stayed away from taking part in the electoral exercise.
  4. Waterman, Alex (16 September 2020). "Ceasefires and State Order-Making in Naga Northeast India". International Peacekeeping. 28 (3): 496–525. doi:10.1080/13533312.2020.1821365. ISSN 1353-3312. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020 – via White Rose Research Online.
  5. Udayan Namboodiri; Avirook Sen (16 February 1998). "Militants force candidates to back out from contest in Nagaland". India Today. Retrieved 4 September 2021. On the eve of the polls, the "principal secretary" of the Government of People's Republic of Nagaland (GPRN), the underground "government" of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah faction), issued letters which asked candidates of all political parties in Nagaland to sign a proclamation "failing which they will be treated as anti-national".
  6. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1998 to the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  7. "Report on the General Election to the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly 1998" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2022.
  8. Kalyan Chaudhari (21 March 1998). "The Assembly round - Nagaland". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  9. Debanish Achom, ed. (17 February 2018). "Ex-Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Teams Up With BJP This Time". NDTV. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.