Supongmeren ‘Superman’ wins Nagaland’s lone Lok Sabha seat

June 5, 2024 1 View No Comment

Morung Express News
Kohima/Dimapur | June 5

Breathing a new life into an otherwise dying party, Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir, nicknamed ‘Superman’ won the lone Lok Sabha seat for Nagaland with a decisive margin, defeating rivals Dr Chumben Murry of the ruling NDPP-BJP led People’s Democratic Alliance and Independent candidate Hayithung Bill Lotha.

According to the Election Commission of India’s results, the Congress party managed to get a total of 4, 01,951 votes compared to the NDPP who received 3, 50,967 votes and Lotha with 6232 votes. Overall, Jamir won by a margin of 50, 984 votes.

This victory marks a significant milestone for the Congress party, which has been struggling to maintain a foothold in the state. Jamir, while speaking to The Morung Express, termed it as a clear mandate given by the voters of Nagaland to his party and vowed to work for the promises made to them.

Even since the beginning, he recalled that he had been confident of the outcome of the results in spite of the odds stacked against him. “So I am extremely grateful to the voters, party officials and frontal bodies for reposing their fate in me through this election,” he said.

For years, the Congress party has faced an uphill battle in Nagaland’s political landscape. The party has been virtually absent from the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, struggling to secure even a single seat in the recent state assembly elections of 2018 and 2023.

In spite of these setbacks, Jamir remarked that the people have this time stood strong in their beliefs and principles by entrusting their vote to the Congress who will champion for ‘rights of minorities.”

He also maintained that as Nagaland’s new Lok Sabha representative, he will take up the matter of the Indo-Naga political talks at the centre which, “we are all seriously concerned about.”

Nagaland’s Congress party has not had a Member of Parliament in recent memory. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, former chief minister and veteran Congressman KL Chishi lost to NDPP’s Tokheho Yepthomi by 16,344 votes.

The last time Congress held a Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland was in 1998 when K Asungba Sangtam was elected. Since then, the party’s influence has waned considerably, overshadowed by regional parties like the NPF and the NDPP.

Supongmeren’s victory has sparked a wave of optimism among the Congress supporters. Political analyst suggests that the win could be the beginning of a revival for the Congress party in Nagaland.

On his current position as the State’s Party President, he revealed it will up to the Central leadership’s decision on whether he will continue to retain that post or if a new president will replace him.

Meanwhile, former MP and MLA Tokheho Yepthomi in an official statement congratulated Jamir for his victory.

“The people of Nagaland have spoken univocally by electing him as the next Member of Parliament. His victory from a National political party will carry much weightage in Parliament whether in government or opposition,” he said. He termed Jamir’s win as a first of many in Nagaland’s political history and “I hope from this he finds inspiration and courage to fulfill the aspirations of Nagaland,” he added.

Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio also congratulated Jamir on his victory. Taking to X platform formerly Twitter, Rio wrote, “Congratulations, S Supongmeren Jamir on winning the lone Lok Sabha seat from Nagaland. The citizens of the State have chosen you to be their elected representative. I wish you the best in carrying out your responsibility of serving the people effectively.”