KOHIMA: The Indian National Congress party has called for a non-partisan democratic election for the urban local bodies in the state of Nagaland.
The term “non-partisan democracy election” refers to the system where political parties do not nominate and put forwards their candidates, but the concerned electorate will be able to select their representative via consensus and cooperation among the people who were supposed to take part in the election process. And this is exactly what the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee wants to do in the upcoming urban local body polls.
Soon after the election process was successfully completed in the state of Nagaland, the new government announced the elections for the local bodies. Along with the notification of the elections, the Nagaland government fixed a 33% reservation of the women of the state in these posts. The election for the same is scheduled to take place on May 16.
The president of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee wrote to Neiphiu Rio about the idea of holding a non-partisan election for the local urban bodies. He mentioned that it is an inherent custom in Nagaland to be followed in the village council elections.
"We have experienced that election in Nagaland are purely fought on money while in other nations, they choose leaders and manifestos," stated K Therie. He also added that the outcomes of the urban local body polls will same as the state assembly polls if the political parties get involved.
He also mentioned that the upcoming elections will take place in 416 wards across the state. Even if three candidates appear for each ward on average, this election will impact 1200 candidates financially leading to possible economic chaos and corruption at the grassroots levels.
He also reminded about the protests that broke out in 2017 against the reservation, leading to the death of two youths. It also caused severe protests and vandalisation of public property leading to the resignation of TR Zeliang.
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