1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election

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^[1] 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.^[2]

1998 Nagaland Legislative Assembly election

← 1993 23 February 1998 2003 →
All 60 seats in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly 31 seats needed for a majority
Registered	260,646
Turnout	78.95%
Majority party   Leader S. C. Jamir Party INC Leader's seat Aonglenden Seats before 35 Seats won 53 Seat change 18 Popular vote 50.73%
CM before election President's Rule INC Elected CM S. C. Jamir INC

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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^[1] even issuing threats to the various political parties where necessary.^[5]

Result

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Indian National Congress	103,206	50.73	53	18
	Independents	100,226	49.27	7	0
Total		203,432	100.00	60	0
Valid votes		203,432	98.86
Invalid/blank votes		2,356	1.14
Total votes		205,788	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		260,646	78.95
Source: ECI[6]

Results by constituency

• Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituency^[7]

Assembly Constituency		Turnout	Winner					Runner Up					Margin
#k	Names	%	Candidate	Party		Votes	%	Candidate	Party		Votes	%
1	Dimapur I	-	I. Vikheshe		INC	Elected Unopposed
2	Dimapur II	-	Imtisunget Jamir		INC	Elected Unopposed
3	Dimapur III	13.68%	Atovi Sumi		INC	1,955	83.83%	T. L. Angami		Independent	337	14.45%	1,618
4	Ghaspani I	-	Dr. V. Kanito		INC	Elected Unopposed
5	Ghaspani II	-	Rokonicha		INC	Elected Unopposed
6	Tening	-	T. R. Zeliang		INC	Elected Unopposed
7	Peren	-	Neiba Ndang		INC	Elected Unopposed
8	Western Angami	64.07%	Asu Keyho		Independent	5,562	55.98%	N. T. Nakhro		INC	4,084	41.10%	1,478
9	Kohima Town	71.39%	T. Abao Kire		Independent	9,166	49.60%	Z. Obed		INC	8,706	47.11%	460
10	Northern Angami I	-	Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu		INC	Elected Unopposed
11	Northern Angami II	-	Neiphiu Rio		INC	Elected Unopposed
12	Tseminyü	-	Nillo		INC	Elected Unopposed
13	Pughoboto	-	Joshua Achumi		INC	Elected Unopposed
14	Southern Angami I	64.30%	Mavil Khieya		Independent	3,964	53.33%	K. Tase		INC	3,288	44.24%	676
15	Southern Angami II	-	Viswesül Pusa		INC	Elected Unopposed
16	Pfütsero	-	Kewekhape Therie		INC	Elected Unopposed
17	Chizami	-	Zhovehu Lohe		INC	Elected Unopposed
18	Chozuba	66.87%	Nuzota Swuro		INC	6,533	58.50%	Yesonu Veyie		Independent	4,526	40.53%	2,007
19	Phek	-	Zachilhu Vadeo		INC	Elected Unopposed
20	Meluri	76.75%	Khuosatho		INC	7,001	73.58%	Wetetso		Independent	2,407	25.30%	4,594
21	Tuli	-	T. Tali		INC	Elected Unopposed
22	Arkakong	-	Imtiyanger		INC	Elected Unopposed
23	Impur	-	T. Chuba		INC	Elected Unopposed
24	Angetyongpang	-	Tongpang Ozüküm		INC	Elected Unopposed
25	Mongoya	-	T. Imtimeren Jamir		INC	Elected Unopposed
26	Aonglenden	-	S. C. Jamir		INC	Elected Unopposed
27	Mokokchung Town	-	Nungshizenba		INC	Elected Unopposed
28	Koridang	-	T. Nokyu Longchar		INC	Elected Unopposed
29	Jangpetkong	-	I. Imkong		INC	Elected Unopposed
30	Alongtaki	-	Tongpang Nungshi		INC	Elected Unopposed
31	Akuluto	-	Kazheto Kinimi		INC	Elected Unopposed
32	Atoizu	-	Doshehe Y. Sema		INC	Elected Unopposed
33	Suruhoto	-	Kiyezhe Sema		INC	Elected Unopposed
34	Aghunato	-	Tokheho Yepthomi		INC	Elected Unopposed
35	Zünheboto	57.53%	Kakheho		Independent	5,218	66.83%	Ghutoshe Sema		INC	2,445	31.31%	2,773
36	Satakha	-	Kaito		INC	Elected Unopposed
37	Tyüi	-	T. C. K. Lotha		INC	Elected Unopposed
38	Wokha	-	John Lotha		INC	Elected Unopposed
39	Sanis	-	Thomas Ngullie		INC	Elected Unopposed
40	Bhandari	-	L. Yanthungo Patton		INC	Elected Unopposed
41	Tizit	87.99%	Tingkup		INC	6,000	50.64%	Yeangphong		Independent	5,753	48.55%	247
42	Wakching	-	P. Enyei Konyak		INC	Elected Unopposed
43	Tapi	-	Bongnao		INC	Elected Unopposed
44	Phomching	-	Kongam		INC	Elected Unopposed
45	Tehok	-	W. Wongyuh Konyak		INC	Elected Unopposed
46	Mon Town	96.02%	C. John		Independent	6,988	50.51%	N. Thongwang Konyak		INC	6,647	48.04%	341
47	Aboi	92.49%	Eyong Konyak		INC	5,452	72.58%	Howing		Independent	1,957	26.05%	3,495
48	Moka	-	A. Nyamnyei Konyak		Independent	Elected Unopposed
49	Tamlu	99.78%	Dr. O. Kongyan Phom		INC	11,832	43.85%	B. Phongshak Phom		INC	15,120	56.03%	-3,288
50	Longleng	98.40%	Shami Angh		Independent	11,843	44.05%	M. Chemlom Phom		INC	11,285	41.97%	558
51	Noksen	98.58%	H. Chuba Chang		INC	4,624	69.17%	Nokshang		Independent	2,041	30.53%	2,583
52	Longkhim Chare	-	S. Kyukhangba Sangtam		INC	Elected Unopposed
53	Tuensang Sadar I	87.08%	P. Chuba		Independent	7,017	56.35%	Changkong Chang		INC	5,228	41.99%	1,789
54	Tuensang Sadar II	77.42%	Kejong Chang		INC	4,479	51.94%	K. Imlong Chang		Independent	4,104	47.59%	375
55	Tobu	-	Sheakpong Konyak		INC	Elected Unopposed
56	Noklak	-	Sedem Khaming		INC	Elected Unopposed
57	Thonoknyu	93.83%	Shingnyu		INC	3,022	29.97%	N. L. Aimong		Independent	2,451	24.31%	571
58	Shamator–Chessore	-	K. Yamakam		INC	Elected Unopposed
59	Seyochung–Sitimi	97.04%	S. Sethricho Sangtam		INC	7,337	51.66%	Kipili		Independent	6,809	47.94%	528
60	Pungro–Kiphire	-	R. L. Akamba		INC	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.^[8] 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.^[9]

See also

• List of constituencies of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly
• 1998 elections in India

References

1. "Holding of timely election is a constitutional process: Rijiju on Nagaland polls". The Quint. 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.
2. "DPACO (1976) - Archive Delimitation Orders". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
3. Along Longkumer (26 February 2018). "Nagaland's Cycle of Slogans, Elections, and Elusive Solutions". The Hindu. Retrieved 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.
4. Waterman, Alex (16 September 2020). "Ceasefires and State Order-Making in Naga Northeast India". International Peacekeeping. 28 (3): 496–525. doi:10.1080/13533312.2020.1821365. ISSN 1353-3312. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020 – via White Rose Research Online.
5. Udayan Namboodiri; Avirook Sen (16 February 1998). "Militants force candidates to back out from contest in Nagaland". India Today. Retrieved 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".
6. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1998 to the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
7. "Report on the General Election to the 9th Nagaland Legislative Assembly 1998" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Nagaland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2022.
8. Kalyan Chaudhari (21 March 1998). "The Assembly round - Nagaland". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
9. Debanish Achom, ed. (17 February 2018). "Ex-Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Teams Up With BJP This Time". NDTV. Retrieved 4 September 2021.