Nagaland: ENPO Responds to CEO’s ‘Undue Influence’ Notice

KOHIMA: The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has replied to the notice from the office of the Nagaland chief electoral officer (CEO).

The notice from the Nagaland CEO asked ENPO to explain why they should not be penalized under a specific section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Nagaland CEO sent the show-cause notice to ENPO because the organization declared a continuous closer in Eastern Nagaland staring at 6 pm on April 18, shortly before the first phase of Lok Sabha election.

In their reply, ENPO explained that the main purpose of the public notice about the shutdown was to prevent potential disruption in eastern Nagaland and discourage troublemakers from causing law and order problems.

The organization emphasized that Eastern Nagaland is currently in a state of “public emergency,” and the shutdown was a measure taken by the residents to ensure peace and security.

Additionally, ENPO pointed out that it had already informed the people Eastern Nagaland about their decision not to participate in the Lok Sabha elections in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) dates April 1^st.

ENPO made their decision after considering the current situation and the feelings of the people in Eastern Nagaland.

Regarding the accusations of “undue influence” in elections, ENPO stated that section 171C (1) does not apply in this case because the organization has not committed any offense related to undue influence.

ENPO clarified that the shutdown was involuntary, with no coercion or enforcement involved, as the organization lacks mechanism to enforce its resolutions or orders.

ENPO also expressed regret for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of its actions and promised to fully cooperate with the authorities.

Earlier, in a massive protest and act of unity, 20 legislators from Eastern Nagaland decided not to vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections. The action led to eerily quit polling stations across the six districts in the region.

The districts, including Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphre, Moklak, and Shamator, have a lot of voters. However, no votes have been cast in any of them by noon.

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