Nagaland: Campaigning gains momentum ahead of 27 February polls as banners replace posters

Kohima: With just a week left for campaigning in poll-bound Nagaland, candidates were seen wooing the electorate by holding rallies after church services were over in this Christian state ton Sunday. In the state capital, such rallies were being organised in the evenings to enable people to attend it after the day’s work. [caption id=“attachment_4325589” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] With an advancement of technology, political parties have shifted to banner campaign displaying the vision statement. Hardly any posters put up by candidates are visible along the roads and on walls. Nagaland is set to go to polls to elect a 60-member Assembly on 27 February and the results would be declared on 3 March. Respective tribal organisations and civil societies have restricted setting up of political party youth camps to avoid clashes among the supporters of rival parties. Altogether 195 candidates comprising 58 of the ruling NPF, 18 Congress, 20 BJP, 39 NDPP, 25 NPP, 13 JDU, 6 NCP, 3 AAP, 2 LJP and 11 Independents are in fray for the 59 seats. NDPP’s chief ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio has already won from the Northern Angami-II seat. While the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) is trying to woo the electorate with its slogan ‘Transforming Nagaland with New Vision, New Image and New Future’, the NDPP is using ‘Change is Coming’ to attract the voters. The Nagaland Baptist Church Association has been campaigning for a clean election appealing to the electorate not to demand money or any other form of materialistic support for voting but elect an upright representative. The election office has deployed flying squads and static surveillance teams to check the use of money and other means to induce voters. So far over Rs 50 lakh in cash, 40,000 litres of liquor and drugs have been seized, Nagaland CEO Abhijit Sinha said.