A total 183 candidates out of 225 who filed nominations will be contesting in the ensuing February 27 Nagaland assembly polls while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Akuluto constituency was declared elected unopposed, said the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) V Shashank Shekhar following the closure of withdrawal of candidature on Friday.
Out of the 183 in the fray, only four are female. The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has nominated two women candidates while the BJP and the Congress have fielded one each.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s NDPP will be contesting in 40 out of 60 seats while its pre-poll ally BJP will contest in 20. The Congress has fielded 23 candidates, regional Naga People’s Front has 22 and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) 15.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the National People’s Party have fielded 12 each, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) 9, Janata Dal (United) 7, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has 3, Communist Party of India (CPI) and Rising People’s Party have one candidate each while there are 19 independent candidates.
The counting of votes will take place on March 2.