Showing their unity for the region, six districts and their 20 MLAs in eastern Nagaland abstained from voting. Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation gave the boycott call, demanding a separate state, Frontier Nagaland. Over 4 lakh voters reflect a longstanding grievance of neglect and marginalisation demanding statehood since 2010. Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphre, Noklak and Shamator have a considerable number of voters. Yet, not a single vote was cast till 4 pm.
The districts are occupied by Naga Chang, Konyak, Sangtam, Phom, Yimkhiung, Khiamniungan and Tikhir tribes. Sumi tribe supports the separate state demand. According to the Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland Awa Loring, staff was stationed in 738 polling stations in six districts. A show-cause notice was issued by poll panel to ENPO for disrupting the electoral process and denounced its attempt to exert undue influence.
A “public emergency” was declared by ENPO in the first phase. ENPO on March 5 announced an “indefinite total shutdown all over Eastern Nagaland jurisdiction with effect from 6 pm on April 18 (Thursday)”. Of the 13.25 voters in the state, six Eastern Nagaland districts have 4,00,632 voters.
