Nagaland’s oldest party NPF wins only two seats

Party leader Kuzholuzo Nienu defeated his Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) opponent Kupota Khesoh by a narrow margin of 41 votes in Phek seat while NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sitting MLA and national spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon by 3,000 votes.

The performance of Nagaland’s the oldest regional party— Naga People’s Front (NPF) — which had led the state government from 2003 to 2018 diminished as the party managed to win only two out of 22 seats.

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Party leader Kuzholuzo Nienu defeated his Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) opponent Kupota Khesoh by a narrow margin of 41 votes in Phek seat while NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sitting MLA and national spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon by 3,000 votes.

In a surprising turn of events, NPF chief Dr. Shürhozielie Liezietsu’s son and two-time MLA Khriehu Liezietsu lost from Northern Angami-I area, which was considered a NPF bastion. He lost to NDPP candidate Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome by 1,690 votes.

In Chizami constituency, NPF leader and sitting MLA Kezhienyi Khalo lost to NDPP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye by 1,279 votes.

Meanwhile, state Congress also failed to perform, drawing a blank, despite rigorously campaigning with central leaders like Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Shashi Tharoor and MP Jairam Ramesh. All the 21 candidates have lost.

State Congress president Kewekhape Therie who lost the Dimapur-I seat to BJP’s H Tovihoto Ayemi by a staggering 6,959 votes, apologized to the people for party’s “weaknesses and shortcomings”. “In our election manifesto, we had promised to change Nagaland, however, this was rejected by the majority,” Therie said.