KOHIMA, MARCH 4 :Thirteen lakh voters, over 35,000 security personnel and the Army’s 3 Corps headquarters at Rangapahar in in Nagaland. Still the authorities are not sure whether Assembly elections on Wednesday in the state would be peaceful or not.

“We have made all arrangements to ensure that no untoward incident takes place on the election day. While a section of para-military forces are being deployed in and around every polling booth, the state police will provide an extra cover,” said C S Ponraj, CEO of the state.

Last week, chief of Army staff Gen Deepak Kapoor had flown in to Kohima on a “routine” visit, while National Security Advisor M K Narayanan was here too to take stock of the ground situation. On Tuesday, two M1-17 helicopters of the Armed Forces were placed at Kohima and Dimapur and elite commandoes of the infantry and the Assam Rifles being asked to remain on full alert.

All this despite both factions of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) — often referred to as “mother of all insurgencies in the Northeast” — have been in a ceasefire with the Government for nearly 11 years now. Also, leader of both factions had made it clear that they had nothing to do with the “Indian elections” and have asked their cadres not to get involved in it.

Security agencies are not ready to accept the announcements of the NSCN factions at face value. Violent incidents have already occurred in different districts of the state with parties accusing each other of using cadres of various underground outfits. At least five persons have been killed in the past three months in election related incidents.

The Assam Rifles, a para-military force under the Army, has in two weeks arrested at least 70 people, 38 of whom are underground cadres, and seized huge quantity of arms and ammunition apart from over Rs four crore in cash from their possession.

The arrested persons include: 23 NSCN-(IM), six NSCN(K), two NSCN (Unified) and seven Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) cadres apart from 27 civilians for carrying weapons, liquor, cash and contraband.

Booth capturing and proxy voting was so rampant in Nagaland in the 2003 elections that the Election Commission, which failed to issue electronic photo identity cards (EPIC) to more than 43 per cent of the voters here, has now asked the village churches to help identify voters on Wednesday. “There is little scope for proxy voting this time,” said the CEO, pointing at the large number of observers and micro-observers deployed.

Seats: 60 Total Voters: 13,00,507

Security personnel

168 companies of Central paramilitary forces, in addition to 21,000-strong state police personnel. Two Mi-17 choppers carrying elite commandos of the Army and Assam Rifles on standby mode

CANDIDATES

Cong: 60

NPF*: 56

BJP*: 23

NCP*: 8

RJD*: 25

JD(U): 3

JD(S): 4

LJP: 3

UNDP: 2

Ind, others : 4

Total candidates 218

*NPF, BJP, NCP and RJD together are part of DAN - Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. But RJD chief Lalu Prasad has claimed he is neither with DAN, nor with the Congress. The four DAN partners are not part of any seat adjustment except for four seats between NPF and BJP

Ads By Google