Morung Express News
Kohima | November 1
As voters of the Southern Angami I Assembly Constituency go to the polls on November 3, here is a look on the three candidates who are in the fray.
Medo Yhokha, NDPP
For former student leader Medo Yhokha, a core agenda in his campaign is 'to maintain peace, social harmony and bring equitable development for all including proactive implementation of women empowerment programs'. 43 years old Yhokha from Kigwema village holds a Master's degree in History from NEHU and has been actively involved in students' rights activism and youth organisations.
Focusing on the promotion of agriculture and ecotourism, Yhokha states, "The lockdown has highlighted the growing demand for local, organic agri produce. It is my vision to implement modernized tools and mechanisms to produce and meet local market requirements and provide marketing support linkages."
The NDPP candidate's agenda for the byelection includes building a "sustainable and eco-friendly tourist infrastructure in the form of trekking routes, homestay, highway inns" for his constituency in the hope that the entire community benefits.
Kikovi Kirha, NPF
51 years old Kikovi Kirha hails from Jakhama village and is the candidate for the Naga People's Front (NPF).
Economic sustainability is a major priority in his campaigns.
Although the National Highway runs through the heart of most of the villages in his constituency, Kirha points out that the electorates continues to face several challenges 'owing to poor or very little concentration of infrastructural developmental activities by the government in the area, leading to poor quality of living standard, acute lack of employment opportunities and entrepreneurship'. While there are significant aspects of the Southern Angami II constituency, Kirha points out that the most noteworthy lies in the field of eco tourism and education belt. With the 'people’s unity and oneness' and sincerity of the leaders, desirable changes can be made in these areas, according to Kirha.
"If I am elected, my foremost priority shall be, to give my best in bringing about all round infrastructural developments, rope in schemes to encourage and promote entrepreneurship and also concentrate on skill development programs to cater to the huge unemployment problems faced by my people by equipping them with all the required skills," states Kirha.
Seyievilie Peter Zashümo, Independent
The youngest among the three candidates, 42 year old Seyievilie Peter Zashümo holds a Masters degree in Sociology (NEHU) and hails from Phesama village. Contesting as the lone independent candidate, Zashümo has been actively running social media campaigns with an 'equitable, inclusive and progressive society' as his core objective. Using the Sugarcane Farmer (Kie Liecie) as his symbol, the official website of Zashümo mentions that the symbol is 'an embodiment of the downtrodden and the greater mass in the society'.
Zashümo's agenda covers a vast number of priorities in education, entrepreneurship, eco tourism, promotion of sports culture, upliftment of women and girl child etc.
"With the onset globalization and liberalisation of the Indian economy, the Naga society has fast transformed into a consumer society.
Notwithstanding the positive effect of capitalistic economy, the divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘haves not’ has evidently grown wider. It will be my steadfast resolve to bridge the divide by way of elevating the underprivileged through education and skill development and wherever necessary hand-hold the weakest of the weak in the society to foster their betterment," states Zashümo in his official website.
