‘Let’s bring change’: Cong chief Kharge lists promises for Nagaland Assembly polls

NEW DELHI, (ANI): Ahead of the Nagaland Assembly polls, congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said his party is committed to the welfare and all-around development of Nagaland.

In a tweet, Kharge said the people of Nagaland deserve a peaceful, prosperous and Progressive government.

“Together, let’s bring change,” he tweeted. Like Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Kharge also promised to restore the Old Pension Scheme in Nagaland if the party comes to power.

Kharge said apart from striving for security and law and order, his party will provide 33 per cent reservations for women in local urban bodies, establish a minority board, and ensure 100 per cent payment of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MRNEGA) dues if brought to power in the February 27 polls. The Nagaland Assembly election will see a total of 183 candidates in fray for 60 seats, Chief Electoral Officer V Shashank Shekhar said on Saturday.

The candidates in fray include 20 from the BJP, 1 from CPI, 23 from the Congress, 12 from the NCP, 12 from the NPP, 40 from NDPP, 22 from NPF, 1 from RPP, 7 from JD(U), 15 from LJP (Ram Vilas), 9 from RPI (Athawale) and 19 Independents. The number of registered voters in the state stands at 13,17,632, of which 6,61,489 are men and 6,56,143 are women.

There are a total of 2,351 polling stations, with Merapani polling station No. 71 in Bhandari Assembly constituency having the lowest number of voters at 37, and Usutomi polling station No. 12 in Atoizu constituency home to the highest number of voters at 1,348. The Mokokchung Town Assembly constituency has lowest number of electors at 8,302 while the Ghaspani-I constituency has the highest at 74,395.

Voting for Assembly elections in Nagaland will be held in a single phase on February 27. The counting of votes will be done on March 2. (ANI)