Nagaland by-election 2017: Voting for Northern Angami-I begins under tight security

Voting has began amidst tight security for the by-election to the Northern Angami-I Assembly constituency in Kohima district from where former Nagaland chief minister president Shurhozelie Liezietsu is contesting on a NPF ticket. [caption id=“attachment_3376324” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Voting started at 7 am and will end at 4 pm, official sources said. A total of 16,235 voters, which include 7697 male and 8538 female will exercise their franchise in 25 polling stations. The contest in the Northern Angami seat is straight between Liezietsu and and his only rival Independent candidate Kekhrie Yhome. The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLA Khriehu Liezietsu on May 24 last, so that his father Shurhezelie Liezietsu could get elected as regular member of the state assembly. The Pakke Kessang constituency became vacant after the Supreme Court declared it’s election held in March 2014 void and Congress MLA Kameng Dolo had to resign in May 2017. The Northern Angami-I constituency was vacated by MLA Khriehu Liezietsu to make way for his father Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the chief minister of Nagaland in May this year. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, the president of the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF), was elected as the chief minister in February 2017 by the party MLAs after TR Zeliang had to step down following statewide protests against his decision to reserve 33 percent of the seats for women in urban local bodies. The Election Commission of India announced 29 July as the by-election date to fill up two vacant Assembly constituencies in 12 Pakke Kessang in Arunachal Pradesh and Northern Angami I in Nagaland. Long ques of voters are seen in polling booths.