2023 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election

2023 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election

← 2018 27 February 2023 2028 →
← outgoing members elected members →
59 out of 60 seats (1 won unopposed)[1] in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly 31 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	86.72% ( 1.10 pp)[2]
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Neiphiu Rio Temjen Imna Along Vanthungo Odyuo Party NDPP BJP NCP Alliance NDA NDA Leader since 2017 2023 2023 Leader's seat Northern Angami II Alongtaki Did not contest Last election 25.2%, 18 seats 15.3%, 12 seats 1.06%, 0 seats Seats won 25 12 7 Seat change 7 7 Popular vote 369,143 215,292 109,467 Percentage 32.22% 18.81% 9.56% Swing 7.00 pp 3.51 pp 8.50 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Andrew Ahoto Richard Humtsoe Kuzholuzo Nienu Party NPP LJP(RV) NPF Leader since 2023 2023 2022 Leader's seat Did not contest Did not contest Phek Last election 7.12%, 2 seats New Party 26 seats, 38.8% Seats won 5 2 2 Seat change 3 New party 24 Popular vote 65,920 98,972 81,195 Percentage 5.78% 8.65% 7.09% Swing 1.34 pp New party 31.71 pp
Structure of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly after the election
Chief Minister before election Neiphiu Rio NDPP Chief Minister after election Neiphiu Rio NDPP

Legislative Assembly elections were held in Nagaland on 27 February 2023 to elect all 60 members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. The votes were counted and the results were declared on 2 March 2023.

Background

The tenure of 13th Nagaland Assembly is scheduled to end on 12 March 2023.^[3] The previous assembly elections were held in February 2018. After the election, coalition of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and Bharatiya Janata Party formed the state government, with Neiphiu Rio becoming Chief Minister.^[4] BJP severed ties with its local ally, Naga People's Front to form the government despite NPF emerging as the single largest party.^[5]

Defections

In April 2022, 21 NPF MLAs joined NDPP along with then leader of the opposition reducing NPF strength to 4.^[6]

In November 2022, three BJP District President of Kohima, Wokha and Peren joined JD(U) as a major jolt to BJP^[7]

Schedule

The election schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India on 18 January 2023.^[8]

Parties and alliances

  North East Democratic Alliance

BJP and NDPP announced their alliance for the election in July 2022^[9] and the seat sharing formula was declared on 2 February 2023.^[10] Both BJP and NDPP announced their candidates on the same day.^[11]

Party[9]		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats contested[10]
	Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party			Neiphiu Rio	40[12][13]
	Bharatiya Janata Party			Yanthungo Patton	20[12][13]
Total					60

  Naga People's Front

Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats contested
	Naga People's Front			Kuzholuzo Nienu	22[12][13]

  Indian National Congress

Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats contested
	Indian National Congress			Kewekhape Therie[14]	23[12][13]

Others

In a press release issued on 22 January 2023, Janata Dal (United) declared that it will not participate in any pre-poll, seat-sharing alliance with any political party. However, it would be open to post-poll alliance with like-minded parties.^[15] JD(U) was one of the first political parties to announce their candidates for the elections on 29 January 2022.^[16]

LJP(RV) decided to contest election not with any other party however party has decided not contest against BJP candidates.^[17]

Party		Flag	Symbol	Leader	Seats contested
	Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)			Richard Humtsoe[18]	16[12][13]
	Nationalist Congress Party			Vanthungo Odyuo[19]	12[12][13]
	National People's Party			Andrew Ahoto[20]	12[12][13]
	Republican Party of India (Athawale)			Mughato Ayemi[21]	8[12][13]
	Janata Dal (United)			Senchumo (NSN) Lotha[22]	7[12][13]
	Rashtriya Janata Dal			Nikheje Sumi[23]	3[12][13]
	Communist Party of India			M. M. Throma Konyak[24]	1[12][13]

Candidates

Issues

• Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) demanded separate state or union territory for Frontier Nagaland (or Eastern Nagaland or formerly called as Tuensang Division). The ENPO called for a boycott of the state assembly election.^[33]
• Janata Dal (United) has raised the issue of unemployment, stating that 90,000 educated youths in Nagaland are still unemployed.^[34]
• The separatist movement in Nagaland which has started since India got its independence.^[35]
• The demand for the removal of the Centre-enforced Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 by many Naga Organizations.^[36]
• Various organisations have demanded for the imposition of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state to regulate entry of outsiders into the state, and for employment throughout the state and inter-state.^[37]

Campaigns

Clean Election

The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) continues its Clean Election Movement (CEM) with this state elections. NBCC first conceived the campaign in 1973 in time for the 1974 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election. Its aim was to prevent people from selling their votes or accepting bribe. Ever since, the campaign has gained momentum into a church-facilitated movement. However, NBCC leaders acknowledge that there has not been 'elaborate visible progress, but it is gaining ground slowly.' For the 2023 state elections, NBCC launched the campaign through its 20 affiliated and 4 associate church associations mid-2021. This year, CEM is part of the church's celebrations of 150 years of Christianity in Nagaland.^[38] The Chakhesang Clean Election Movement launched by the tribe's Baptist church council went further to declare that church workers who wish to involve in the election campaign must resign first and abstain from church-related ministry for a period of five years.^[39]

In October 2022, CEM issued a statement registering their protest over the declaration of a consensus candidate from Chungtia village in Mokokchung district accompanied with punitive and dismissive repercussions. They were clear that a consensus candidate through the diktat of the village council is an electoral malpractice and against the Election Code of Conduct. CEM also condemned possible declarations by other village councils or groups and called the church to be more vigilant against these practices.^[40] However, the condemnation came in rather late as the consensus candidate (B Toshikaba Longchar)^[41] was declared by the Chungtia Senso Mungdang (Chungtia Citizens Forum) on 28 December 2021 followed by the notification from the Chungtia Village Council (CVC) warning the villagers of a penalty of seven pigs for not following the diktat. A Writ petition filed at the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court challenging the village resolution was first listed for hearing on 27 October 2022.^[42] T. Chalukumba Ao, a resident of the village, had approached the court challenging the resolution and consequential notice.^[41] Similarly, the Bench has admitted the case against the consensus candidate flouted by the Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Putu Menden (Mongsenyimti Riongsanger Village Council) and their resolutions in December 2021, June 2022, and October 2022.^[42] Consequent to the case regarding the village's consensus candidate, the Chungtia Senso Mungdang withdrew its resolution and the Chungtia Village Council withdrew its penalty of seven pigs on detractors.^[41]

Surveys & polls

Exit polls

Election Commission of India had banned exit polls for the period between 7am on 16 February and 7pm on 27 February 2023.^[43][44] Accordingly, the exit polls were published in the evening of 27 February 2023.^[45][46]

Results

Results by alliance and party

Results^[52]

Alliance		Party		Popular vote			Seats
				Votes	%	±pp	Contested	Won	+/−
	NDA		Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party	369,143	32.24	7.02	40	25	7
			Bharatiya Janata Party	215,292	18.8	3.51	20	12
			Total	584,184	51.04	10.53	60	37	7
None			Nationalist Congress Party	109,467	9.56	8.50	12	7	7
			National People's Party	65,920	5.76	1.14	12	5	3
			Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)	98,972	8.64	8.65	16	2	2
			Naga People's Front	81,195	7.09	31.71	22	2	24
			Republican Party of India (Athawale)	42,191	3.69	TBD	8	2	2
			Janata Dal (United)	37,182	3.25	1.25	7	1
			Indian National Congress	40,810	3.56	1.45	23	0
			Independents	71737	6.27	TBD		4	3
			Others	TBD	0.83	TBD		0
			NOTA	3,512	0.31	0.26
Total			100%
Valid votes
Invalid votes
Votes cast/ turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters

Results by district

Results by constituency

Source:^[53]
Incumbent MLA's are highlighted with background color.

See also

• 2023 elections in India
• Elections in Nagaland

References