1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election explained

Election Name:	1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election
Country:	India
Type:	legislative
Vote Type:	Popular
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1993 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election
Previous Year:	1993
Election Date:	23 February 1998
Next Election:	2003 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election
Next Year:	2003
Seats For Election:	All 60 seats in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly
Majority Seats:	31
Turnout:	78.95%
Image1:	Governor S. C. Jamir with CM Naveen Patnaik and President Kovind (cropped).jpg
Leader1:	S. C. Jamir
Leaders Seat1:	Aonglenden
Party1:	Indian National Congress
Seats Before1:	35
Popular Vote1:	50.73%
Seat Change1:	18
Seats1:	53
CM
Before Party:	Indian National Congress
Before Election:	President's Rule
After Party:	Indian National Congress
After Election:	S. C. Jamir

Elections to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly were held in February 1998 to elect members of the 60 constituencies in Nagaland, India. The Indian National Congress won a majority of the seats and S. C. Jamir was re-appointed as the Chief Minister of Nagaland. The number of constituencies was set as 60 by the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission of India.^[1]

Regional parties like the Naga People's Front did not contest these elections, and they were joined by the Bharatiya Janata Party in this action.^[2] In 43 of the constituencies, the INC candidate was the sole candidate and hence was declared the winner without a poll. In the other 17 constituencies, the INC candidate had to compete with one or more Independents. The Independents managed to win 7 of these seats.

Background

In 1997, the NSCN(I-M) signed a ceasefire agreement with the government.^[3] The agreement ensured that while the government would not push for counter-insurgency operations against the NSCN (I-M) cadre and its leadership, the rebels on their part would not target armed forces. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the Naga Hoho, (a tribal body), then demanded that upcoming elections should be postponed till the conclusion of the peace talks. Since the Election Commission wasn't amenable to their arguments, they called for a boycott of the polls^[4] even issuing threats to the various political parties where necessary.^[5]

Result

Results by constituency

Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituency^[6]

! colspan="2"
Assembly Constituency	Turnout	Winner					Runner Up					Margin
k	Names	%	Candidate	Party		data-sort-type=number	Votes	%	Candidate	Party		Margin	data-sort-type=number	Votes	%
1		-	I. Vikheshe		Elected Unopposed
2		-	Imtisunget Jamir		Elected Unopposed
3		13.68%	Atovi Sumi		1,955	83.83%	T. L. Angami		337	14.45%	1,618
4		-	Dr. V. Kanito		Elected Unopposed
5		-	Rokonicha		Elected Unopposed
6		-	T. R. Zeliang		Elected Unopposed
7		-	Neiba Ndang		Elected Unopposed
8		64.07%	Asu Keyho		5,562	55.98%	N. T. Nakhro		4,084	41.10%	1,478
9		71.39%	T. Abao Kire		9,166	49.60%			8,706	47.11%	460
10		-			Elected Unopposed
11		-			Elected Unopposed
12		-	Nillo		Elected Unopposed
13		-	Joshua Achumi		Elected Unopposed
14		64.30%	Mavil Khieya		3,964	53.33%	K. Tase		3,288	44.24%	676
15		-			Elected Unopposed
16		-	Kewekhape Therie		Elected Unopposed
17		-	Zhovehu Lohe		Elected Unopposed
18		66.87%	Nuzota Swuro		6,533	58.50%	Yesonu Veyie		4,526	40.53%	2,007
19		-	Zachilhu Vadeo		Elected Unopposed
20		76.75%	Khuosatho		7,001	73.58%	Wetetso		2,407	25.30%	4,594
21		-	T. Tali		Elected Unopposed
22		-	Imtiyanger		Elected Unopposed
23		-	T. Chuba		Elected Unopposed
24		-			Elected Unopposed
25		-	T. Imtimeren Jamir		Elected Unopposed
26		-			Elected Unopposed
27		-	Nungshizenba		Elected Unopposed
28		-	T. Nokyu Longchar		Elected Unopposed
29		-	I. Imkong		Elected Unopposed
30		-	Tongpang Nungshi		Elected Unopposed
31		-	Kazheto Kinimi		Elected Unopposed
32		-	Doshehe Y. Sema		Elected Unopposed
33		-	Kiyezhe Sema		Elected Unopposed
34		-	Tokheho Yepthomi		Elected Unopposed
35		57.53%	Kakheho		5,218	66.83%	Ghutoshe Sema		2,445	31.31%	2,773
36		-	Kaito		Elected Unopposed
37		-	T. C. K. Lotha		Elected Unopposed
38		-	John Lotha		Elected Unopposed
39		-	Thomas Ngullie		Elected Unopposed
40		-	L. Yanthungo Patton		Elected Unopposed
41		87.99%	Tingkup		6,000	50.64%	Yeangphong		5,753	48.55%	247
42		-	P. Enyei Konyak		Elected Unopposed
43		-	Bongnao		Elected Unopposed
44		-	Kongam		Elected Unopposed
45		-	W. Wongyuh Konyak		Elected Unopposed
46		96.02%	C. John		6,988	50.51%	N. Thongwang Konyak		6,647	48.04%	341
47		92.49%	Eyong Konyak		5,452	72.58%	Howing		1,957	26.05%	3,495
48		-	A. Nyamnyei Konyak		Elected Unopposed
49		99.78%	Dr. O. Kongyan Phom		11,832	43.85%	B. Phongshak Phom		15,120	56.03%	-3,288
50		98.40%	Shami Angh		11,843	44.05%	M. Chemlom Phom		11,285	41.97%	558
51		98.58%			4,624	69.17%	Nokshang		2,041	30.53%	2,583
52		-	S. Kyukhangba Sangtam		Elected Unopposed
53		87.08%	P. Chuba		7,017	56.35%	Changkong Chang		5,228	41.99%	1,789
54		77.42%			4,479	51.94%	K. Imlong Chang		4,104	47.59%	375
55		-	Sheakpong Konyak		Elected Unopposed
56		-	Sedem Khaming		Elected Unopposed
57		93.83%	Shingnyu		3,022	29.97%	N. L. Aimong		2,451	24.31%	571
58		-	K. Yamakam		Elected Unopposed
59		97.04%	S. Sethricho Sangtam		7,337	51.66%	Kipili		6,809	47.94%	528
60		-	R. L. Akamba		Elected Unopposed

Government Formation

On 5 March, S. C. Jamir was sworn in as the Chief Minister, by the Governor Om Prakash Sharma, for his second successive term.^[7] In addition, 11 other members of the Legislative assembly were sworn in as ministers in the cabinet. These included the future Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, who was made the Home minister.^[8]

Notes and References

Web site: DPACO (1976) - Archive Delimitation Orders . . December 9, 2020.
Web site: Nagaland's Cycle of Slogans, Elections, and Elusive Solutions . . 26 February 2018 . Along Longkumer . 3 September 2021 . It will be worth remembering that as early as 1998 (when Nagaland Assembly election was due at that time), Naga civil society had coined the slogan ‘Nagas want solution not election’. Except for the Indian National Congress (INC) under veteran Congressman S.C. Jamir, now the Governor of Odisha, the other parties, including the regional outfit NPC/NPF and even the BJP, had lent their support to the appeal. Terming the Congress as ‘anti-Naga’, these parties, backed by the NSCN (IM), stayed away from taking part in the electoral exercise..
Waterman . Alex . 2020-09-16 . Ceasefires and State Order-Making in Naga Northeast India . . 28 . 3 . 496–525 . 10.1080/13533312.2020.1821365 . 1353-3312 . https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/166222/ . 1 October 2020 . White Rose Research Online.
Web site: Holding of timely election is a constitutional process: Rijiju on Nagaland polls . IANS . 30 January 2018 . . In 1998, the separatist National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and Naga Hoho had called for a poll boycott after it signed a ceasefire with the Indian government in 1997. However, the Congress party which was ruling Nagaland then had swept the elections by winning 53 of 60 seats, as other parties heeded the call..
Web site: Militants force candidates to back out from contest in Nagaland . . 16 February 1998 . Udayan Namboodiri . Avirook Sen . 4 September 2021 . On the eve of the polls, the "principal secretary" of the Government of People's Republic of Nagaland (GPRN), the underground "government" of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah faction), issued letters which asked candidates of all political parties in Nagaland to sign a proclamation "failing which they will be treated as anti-national"..
Web site: Report on the General Election to the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly 1998 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128160926/https://ceo.nagaland.gov.in/ElectionFiles/NLA/9th_General_Election_Report_NLA_1998.pdf . 28 January 2022 . Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland.
Web site: The Assembly round - Nagaland . 21 March 1998 . Kalyan Chaudhari . . 4 September 2021.
Web site: Ex-Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Teams Up With BJP This Time . 17 February 2018 . Debanish Achom . 4 September 2021 . NDTV.