Votes polled: •Neiphiu Rio – 7,13, 372 •KV Pusa – 3,13,147 •Akhei Achumi - 9695 •NOTA - 2696
Rio to leave for Delhi today
Dimapur, May 16 (MExN): The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha polls to the lone parliamentary seat from Nagaland state, results for which were declared on Friday. The results show that the NPF candidate, Neiphiu Rio had 7,13,372 votes polled in his favor, followed by Congress candidate, KV Pusa with 3,13,147 votes coming at a distant second. Socialist Party (India) candidate, Akhei Achumi had 9,695 votes polled in his favor.
“Margin is not the issue. The DAN Alliance has won and that matters,” said Rio, who is also the Chief Minister, as he arrived at the Nagaland Returning Officer’s office in Kohima after the formal declaration of results. Rio stated that the results indicate how the Naga people “are united under one voice for resolution of the political issue and for ensuring progress and development.”
Rio informed that he had also spoken to the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, earlier during the day to congratulate him on his victory. Modi is said to have thanked the people of the North East and Nagaland in particular for the sweeping victory. Rio is scheduled to leave for Delhi on May 17, Saturday. “I am going to Delhi to serve our people,” stated Rio.
The newly elected Member of Parliament said that he will be “demitting” the office of the Chief Minister shortly and thanked all rank and file of the NPF, its allies, various organizations and the Naga people for their support and co operation. Rio further stated that despite the NPF losing in the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and the Assembly Constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh, the party would continue working towards “bringing our people together.” He appealed for the people to strive towards “unity, understanding and oneness in the greater interest of the people.”
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for Nagaland state informed that the final voter turnout for the Nagaland LS polls was 88.23%. The final percentage turnouts for male and female voters were 88.74% and 87.71 percent respectively. Interestingly, a total of 2696 votes were cast under the category of None of the Above (NOTA). The Nagaland CEO further informed that 189 votes, cast through postal ballots, were rejected.
Pusa congratulates Rio
Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland, KV Pusa congratulated Neiphiu Rio for winning the Nagaland LS seat and expressed hope that the latter will “deliver goods to the people of the state,” which “have been neglected for more than a decade.” Pusa, in a press note, thanked the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President, S I Jamir and his colleagues and leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Tokheho Yepthomi. “Above all I thank the voters who have fearlessly exercised their franchise for the congress which stands for secularism,” he added. Pusa asserted that the Congress party “will never let our people down but would continue to fight the communal forces and in the interest of people of the state.”
