KOHIMA, March 1 – Nagaland is heading for a fractured mandate in the Assembly elections with the Congress and the Nagaland People's Front running neck and neck with 42 results declared so far, reports PTI. Out of 41 seats, the Congress won 15 and NPF 14 while the BJP got five.
From the available trend, it is almost certain that no single party may cross the 25-seat mark in the 60-member House. The real surprise is the BJP's performance which so far bagged five seats including the prestigious Dimapur-1 constituency from where its candidate and former state chief minister, Hokishe Sema won, wresting the seat from the Congress.
Other big winners were the Chief Minister S C Jamir and the NPF's Neiphiu Rio. Jamir returned to the Assembly for the record sixth consecutive term while his bitter critic and NPF stalwart, Neiphiu Rio, won the northern Angami-II seat with thumping majority.
Prominent losers included Speaker Z Lohe, RD minister Zachilu, Agriculture Minister P Enyie Konyak, Health and Family Welfare Minister Neiba Ndang and Planning Minister and Chief Minister S C Jamir’s brother Imtisungit Jamir. Counting is being held for 57 seats today. Repolling was held during the day in ten polling booths in Tuensang district.