Congress leading against ruling NDPP in Nagaland

Counting is being done at 11 counting centres across the state and Congress’ Jamir is leading by about 20,000 votes against the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate Dr Chumben Murry

Kohima: As the counting of votes progresses in Nagaland for the state’s lone seat in the Lok Sabha, 41.06% of votes have been counted by 11.30am on Tuesday, wherein Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir, has taken an early lead. The counting of votes began at 8am. 

(Representative Photo)

Counting is being done at 11 counting centres across the state and Jamir is leading by about 20,000 votes against the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate Dr Chumben Murry. 

Murry, who is also the NDPP-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) consensus candidate, was, however, leading from his home district Wokha and a few other assembly constituencies. 

Nagaland Congress has failed to win a single seat in both 2018 and 2023 assembly polls. The last time the party had successfully contested was in 2013, when it won eight seats. However, in 2015, all eight MLAs merged with the then-ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF). 

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, former chief minister and veteran Congressman KL Chishi lost to NDPP’s Tokheho Yepthomi by a close margin of 16,344 votes.

The last time a Congress MP from Nagaland sat in the Lok Sabha was in 1996, when K Asungba Sangtam represented the state.