North East Elections

People's trust, hard work of SKM behind landslide victory: Sikkim CM Tamang

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha supremo Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday gave credit for the party's landslide victory in the assembly election in the state to the hard work of the SKM cadre and the trust of the people in his government. The SKM returned to power in the Himalayan state for the second time in a row by securing 26 seats till now in the 31-member assembly. Counting is underway and the party is leading in five other seats. After the landslide win, Tamang who is also the chief minister, congratulated the party supporters and the voters of Sikkim. "It is because of the love and trust of the people which we have managed to secure in the past five years in government. Besides, party cadres worked very hard. Now we have the next five years to give our 100 per cent for the people of Sikkim," he said at a gathering in Paljor Stadium in Gangtok. Tamang won from both Rhenock and Soreng-Chakung constituencies that he contested. In 2019, the SKM had won 17 seats and unseated the Sikkim ...

We've many challenges in terms of weather, geography: Meghalaya CEO Tiwari

The Meghalaya CEO also highlighted that there are 50 such polling stations that we can't reach by vehicle so the polling parties will have to walk

Kukis, Meitis unite on one point - not right time for LS polls in Manipur

The Kukis and Meitis may be at loggerheads in Manipur but their thoughts on one point converge -- this is not the right time for Lok Sabha elections in the restive state. It has nearly been a year since ethnic violence broke out between the hill-majority Kukis and the valley-majority Meitis. It has not only killed over 200 people and displaced around 50,000 but also sharply divided Manipur along ethnic lines. Elections for two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur will be held on April 19 and 26. While Inner Manipur and some segments of Outer Manipur will vote in the first phase, the remaining segments of Outer Manipur will go to polls on April 26. Living separately and refusing to co-exist in future, many members of both Kukis and Meitis communities ask - why elections at this time and what difference will they make? "Our demand is clear - we want a separate administration for the Kuki Zo community. For years the development has only been in the valley and not our areas and after what has ..

Arunachal Assembly polls: 23 candidates have criminal cases against them

Twenty-three candidates in the fray for the April 19 Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, have criminal cases registered against them, according to a report of a civil society organisation. The report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Arunachal Pradesh Election Watch, which was released on Wednesday, revealed that out of the 23 candidates with criminal cases in the northeastern state, 20 have declared serious criminal cases against them in their affidavits. The report was prepared after analysing the self-sworn affidavits of 142 out of 143 contesting candidates in the assembly polls. The affidavit of BJP candidate Ratu Techi, who won from the Sagalee constituency unopposed, could not be analysed due to the unavailability of his clear and complete affidavit on the Election Commission website, the report said. In the 2019 assembly polls in the state, out of 184 candidates analysed, 29 had declared criminal cases and 26 have declared serious criminal cas

LS elections 2024: EC issues notice to VPP for MCC 'violation' in Meghalaya

The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the Voice of the People's Party in Meghalaya over an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by its supporters who were accused of disrupting Lok Sabha poll campaigns of the ruling NPP by raising slogans during public meetings in several locations. The Returning Officer of Shillong parliamentary constituency SC Sadhu also issued another notice to VPP chief Ardent Basaiawmoit after the election agent of NPP candidate Ampareen Lyngdoh alleged that the opposition party was "spreading fake news" using social media. Basaiawmoit was asked to reply by April 12 as to why action should not be taken against his party under the relevant provisions of the model code of conduct. In a complaint to the returning officer, the NPP accused VPP supporters of disrupting election meetings of the party in Ri-Bhoi district on Monday. The VPP supporters allegedly raised slogans while former MLA and NPP state working president Hamletson Dohli

Traders at Manipur's women-run Ima market question relevance of elections

Amidst the lingering aftermath of ethnic conflicts, the women traders at Manipur's iconic 'Ima market' -- the only market in the world run entirely by women -- have expressed a deafening lack of enthusiasm towards the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Questioning the relevance of the electoral process amidst the ongoing turmoil, the women traders from various market associations, are contemplating a boycott of the polls with their major grievance being -- "the nation forgot Manipur". Nema Devi, a seasoned fish vendor at the market, reflects the sentiment shared by many, emphasising the absence of tangible change despite months of unrest. "Even 11 months after the violence, there has not been a resolution and no restoration of peace. We continue to live by the rule of taking one day at a time. Living in continuous fear and going ahead with our usual lives. "What will change with the elections? The nation, the government, everybody forgot Manipur," 52-year-old Devi, who has been running

Will not participate in upcoming LS polls: Nagaland's ENPO writes to EC

The ENPO, which has been demanding a separate state carved out of Nagaland, has written to the Election Commission of India, stating that it will abstain from the upcoming Lok Sabha poll process. In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of India through the chief electoral officer of the northeastern state, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of seven Naga tribes of the region, said its members have collectively decided not to take part in the ensuing parliamentary polls. "The people of eastern Nagaland under the aegis of ENPO had on March 19, 2024 reaffirmed its commitment to the Chenmoho Resolution, wherein it was further reaffirmed and resolved not to participate in any central and state elections against the failure to settle the creation of frontier Nagaland territory (FNT) as offered and assured by the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 7, 2023 to be settled before the announcement of Model Code of Conduct to the Lok Sabha 2024 by the ECI,"

More than 1,000 arrested in Mizoram for not possessing Inner Line Permit

More than 1,000 people have been arrested in Mizoram for entering the state illegally without possessing the Inner Line Permit (ILP), police said. The arrests were made during a special drive conducted jointly by the police and volunteers of influential civil society organisation Young Mizo Association on Tuesday night. According to the provisions of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, people from other states need to possess ILP to enter and stay in Mizoram for a specified period. A total of 1,187 people, including six minors, from other states were found not possessing ILP, a police officer said. The highest number of arrests at 1,065 was made in Aizawl, while 122 people were arrested in other districts, including Lunglei, Champhai, Saitual and Serchhip, he said. The violators were handed over to respective police stations for further action, the officer said.

Talks, negotiations only way to bring peace in Manipur: Kiren Rijiju

Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said negotiations are the only means to restore peace in ethnic violence-hit Manipur and returning the state to normalcy will be the Narendra Modi government's next phase of efforts. Rijiju put the blame for the ongoing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state on a Manipur High Court order recommending Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meiteis. The violence has claimed at least 219 lives in the restive state. Rijiju said the problem in Manipur was not an uprising against the BJP-led Centre but ethnic clashes between two dominant groups -- the Meiteis and the Kukis. "If anyone wants to help restore peace in Manipur, then first go and appeal to both the Meities and the Kukis that do not pick up arms. An armed struggle will not lead to a solution. Peaceful negotiations are the only means to achieve a peaceful atmosphere and get normalcy back. That will be the next phase of our efforts to bring development

ENPO raises louder demand for carving out separate state from Nagaland

The ENPO, which is demanding a separate state carved out of Nagaland, declared a "public emergency" in six districts, stating that it would not allow any political party to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The decision was taken by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) after it held a meeting with tribal bodies and frontal organisations in Dimapur on Tuesday. "In view of the Government of India delaying to settle the offer for creation of Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) through the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Tribal Bodies and Frontal Organisations hereby declare Public Emergency all over Eastern Nagaland with immediate effect," it said in a statement. ENPO has been demanding a separate state since 2010, claiming that the six districts -- Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator, in the eastern part of Nagaland have been neglected in all aspects for years. It also decided "not to accede to any assurance that may come up with by the MHA to be implemente

One village volunteer killed, 2 injured in gunfight in Manipur's Kangpokpi

One village volunteer was killed and two others were injured during a gunfight between two armed groups in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Saturday morning, police said. The gunfight broke out after armed miscreants entered the vicinity of the hill village of Satang Kuki and launched a gun and bomb attack. The fighting stopped after the attackers retreated following the arrival of additional backup forces at Satang village, they said. The injured has been rushed to a private hospital in Imphal. One of the injured person received splinter injuries on the face and another on his thigh, hospital sources said. Further details are awaited, they added.

Confusion, vested interests led to loss of precious lives in Manipur: CM

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday said certain misunderstandings, actions of vested interests and foreign plot to destabilise the country has led to loss of precious lives and properties in the state. Singh said this after hoisting the national flag at the 1st Manipur Rifles parade ground here on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day function. The Independence Day celebration was held in all hill and valley districts of the state. He urged all to stop the violence and bring back the rapid progress the state had witnessed earlier. "Certain misunderstandings, actions of vested interests and foreign plot to de-stabilise the country has led to loss of precious lives and properties and many are living in relief camps," the CM said. The government is working consistently to bring back normalcy and the affected people will be resettled soon, Singh said, adding that those who cannot be shifted to the original places immediately will be shifted temporarily to pre-fabricate

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act not a threat to Nagas: Nagaland CM Rio

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday asserted that the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 is not a threat to Nagas as more than 95 per cent of forest cover in the state belong to individuals or community. "In Nagaland, hardly 5 per cent of the land and forest cover belongs to the government while more than 95 per cent are owned by individuals or community," he said while replying to a query of PTI on the stand of the state government on the passing of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill by Parliament recently. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on August 2 and it received the President's assent on August 4. Rio while talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function here said Article 371 (A) gives special protection to Nagas on land and its resources. He said, "We feel that it is not a threat to the state but we will make further study on its implication and we will not make any reacting for now". On the Naga Peopl

PM to attend swearing-in ceremony of BJP govt in Tripura on March 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP-IPFT government in Tripura on March 8, a senior official said on Saturday. In the recently concluded Tripura Assembly elections, the BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member Assembly while its ally IPFT won one seat. "Chief Secretary S K Sinha is holding a meeting with senior officials regarding the Prime Minister's visit to the state. An SPG team is also arriving today. The Prime Minister is coming to attend the oath taking ceremony of the new government on March 8", the senior police official told PTI. Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday tendered the resignation of his government to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya. He had told journalists that the new government will take oath on March 8 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event. The oath taking ceremony of the new government will be held at Vivekananda ground here. "Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chairman of NED

No hung assembly, NDA to form govt in all three NE states: Himanta

Asserting there will not be hung assembly in either Tripura, Nagaland or Meghalaya, as predicted in some exit polls, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the NDA will form governments with absolute majority in all the three northeastern states. Sarma, the NEDA convenor, said no NDA (National Democratic Alliance) partner will go into any alliance with either Congress or the Trinamool Congress after the results are declared on Thursday. "There will be no hung assembly. The NDA will form governments in all the three states," he said at a press conference here. Several exit polls have predicted hung assemblies in Tripura and Meghalaya although the NDA will be the largest block. Only in Nagaland, psephology surveys have predicted the return of the NDA to power with an absolute majority. When asked about candidates for the chief minister's post in the three states, Sarma said there will be a status quo in Tripura and Nagaland. "Tripura will have a BJP CM, while we a

Why BJP doesn't need to become Bharatiya Jesus Party in north east India

Despite Congress playing the Christian card, BJP could make massive inroads in Meghalaya