Ruling alliance in Nagaland wins Lok Sabha bypoll; Tokheho defeats Apok by comfortable margin

May 31, 2018 119 Views No Comment

Ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP ally, today won the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat in the bypoll, defeating rival NPF nominee by a comfortable margin of over 1.73 lakh votes.

NDPP nominee Tokheho Yepthomi, representing the ruling PDA (People’s Democratic Alliance) in Nagaland, defeated NPF nominee C Apok Jamir by 1,73,746 votes in the by-election, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said.

Yepthomi polled 5,94,205 votes against the only opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) nominee Jamir who bagged 4,20,459 votes.

Both Yepthomi and Jamir are former Congress leaders who went on to join the then ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) under the previous TR Zeliang government.

While Yepthomi parted ways with the NPF to join the newly floated NDPP under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, C. Apok Jamir remained with the NPF. They both lost during the recent Assembly Election.

The bypoll to the seat was necessitated after Rio, who is also the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader, resigned as Member of Parliament in February, days before the Assembly polls in the state.

The ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), which has the NDPP and the BJP as it major constituents, has fielded former minister Tokheho Yepthomi as its candidate. The opposition Naga People’s Front’s (NPF) nominee is C Apok Jamir, who was being supported by Congress.

According to early figures of the votes counted available with The Naga Republic, the NDPP candidate won consistently across all the 11 districts. The NPF on the other hand led only in two districts—Peren and Phek.

LS bypoll result