The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance got majority in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly by winning 33 seats on Thursday. Nagaland political stalwart and its longest serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio is set to assume office as chief minister for a fifth consecutive term. PM Modi thanked people of Nagaland for NDPP-BJP alliance's win, saying that double engine government will keep working for its progress.
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ECI figures as of 6.30 pm
Rio set to be Nagaland’s chief minister for a record fifth term
Nagaland political stalwart and its longest-serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio is set to assume office as chief minister for a fifth consecutive term after a convincing win for his party and its ally, the BJP.
The septuagenarian leader has with this victory, broken the record of veteran leader S C Jamir, who helmed the northeastern state thrice.
Rio personally defeated Congress' Seyievelie Sachu, a greenhorn in the political arena, in the Northern Angami II constituency, in the process helping emasculate the grand old party in the state where at one time it was entrenched.
BJP-NDPP alliance- 35 seats
NCP: 6 seats
NPP: 5 seats
NDPP-BJP alliance gets majority
The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance got majority in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly by winning 33 seats on Thursday, election commission said.
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won 21 seats while its alliance partner got 12 seats, the EC said.
The NDPP-BJP had fought the elections on 40:20 seat sharing arrangement.
Nagaland Election Results Live: NDPP-BJP alliance crosses majority mark, set to come back to power
ECI figures as of 4 pm
The BJP-NDPP alliance is inching towards the majority mark in Nagaland.
PM Modi expected to address BJP meeting as party retains power in Nagaland
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address BJP workers and supporters on Thursday as the party appeared set to retain power in Tripura on its own and with its senior ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party in Nagaland.
Official sources said Modi is likely to be felicitated for the victory at a meeting of senior party leaders at its headquarters here.
The BJP's tally of seats, it has either won or is leading, stood at 33 in Tripura, according to the latest Election Commission figures for the polls to the 60-member assembly.
Suvendu Adhikari wishes BJP, PM Modi for victory in Nagaland and Tripura
Vote share break-up as of 2.30 pm
ECI figures as of 1.48 pm
NDPP's Hekhani Jakhalu has wonDimapur-III seat by 1,536 votes. She is the first woman to be elected to Nagaland Assembly.
Counting update
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale's Republican Party of India (Athawale) has won two seats.
NDPP has won 1 seat, leading on 25 seats, BJP won two seats and leading on 12 seats and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leading on 3 seats.
ECI figures as of 12.38
The NDPP is leading in 25 seats, its alliance partner BJP is leading in 11 and has won in 2.
BJP candidate P Bashangmongba Chang has won from Tuensang Sadar-I seat by 5,644 votes over nearest rival Toyang Chang of NCP.
ECI figures as of 11.48 am
ECI trends in Dimapur 1, 2 and 3
Nagaland Deputy CMYanthungo Patton expressed confidence looking at the leads that the incumbent government will retain power. "As of now, our alliance NDPP andBJP is way ahead. We are going to get a thumping majority to form the government under the leadership of our CM Neiphiu Rio. This time we are expecting an increase in the seats compared to the last polls."
Polling trends in Nagaland
NDPP supremo and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was leading by over 6,394 votes against his nearest Indian National Congress party rival Seyievilie Sachu, it said.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP nominee Y Patton is leading by 110 votes in Tyui seat in Wokha.
Two of the four women candidates Hekhani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse of NDPP are also leading in Dimapur-III and Western Angami seats.
BJP hits lottery in Nagaland as the saffron party and its alliance partner NDPP are leading in 40 out of the 60 seats. BJP has won 2 seats in the state, as per ECI record.
EC trends as of 10.45 am
EC trends as of 10.11 am
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party leading on 12seats, BJP won one seat and leading on 4 seats.
Nationalist Congress Party is leading in two seats. Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party(Ram Vilas)andRepublican Party of India (Athawale) are leading in one seat each.
CM Neiphiu Rio leads from Northern Angami-II seat
Incumbent CM and NDPP candidate Neiphiu Rio is leading from Northern Angami-II assembly constituency in early trends.
Official ECI trends as of 9.33 am
Early trends as of 9 am
Trends suggest that NDPP-BJP alliance is leading in 50 of the 60 seats, NPF in 6 seats and Congress in one seat
Early trends show BJP-NDPP combine leading comfortably over other regional players.
Counting begins
Election FAQs: What happens on counting day?
Before results are declared, here'sa look at what happens on the day of vote counting.
Voting to begin at 8 am
Nagaland among states with highest voter turnouts
Meghalaya and Nagaland have had a history of being among states with highest voter turnout across India.
Despite an overall reputation of having a high voter turnout, Nagaland has also had as low as 22.20 per cent voters exercising their franchise in the year 1998. The lowest after that was in the last Assembly elections in 2018 with 84.00 per cent.
Nagaland CM expects 'massive majority' for NDPP-BJP
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, after casting his vote at the Northern Angami II Assembly constituency said that the NDPP-BJP alliance will get a "massive majority" and form their government for the second term in a row.
Rio, who served as Nagaland CM four times in a row, is again the CM candidate by the BJP-NDPP alliance.
The ruling alliance is better placed this time as the Naga People's Front (NPF) and Congress contested only 22 seats each. BJP and NDPP contested this election in a 20:40 seat-sharing arrangement.
Campaign fever ran high in Nagaland this year
While regional parties remain bigger players in both Meghalaya and Nagaland, the BJP ran a determined campaign with its bigwigs, including PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, in the states to expand its footprints.
In Nagaland, which had the unique feature of having no opposition as all parties with presence in the 60-member assembly backed the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-led government, the BJP is again fighting the polls in alliance with the NDPP.
Nagaland Assembly's tenure ends on March 12
The tenure of the Nagaland assembly is scheduled to end on March 12 as the last assembly polls in the northeastern state were held in February 2018.
This year, polling was held on February 27 in a single phase.
ECI set for counting
Poll officials said that prohibitory orders under 144 Cr Pc have been promulgated in and around all the locations of the counting centers as a precautionary measure.
Nagaland election officials said that the votes will be counted in 59 centers across the 16 district headquarters.
Balloting was not held in one Assembly constituency in each of Meghalaya and Nagaland, which have 60 seats each in the state Assemblies.
Nagaland Election Constituency-wise Result Live: NDPP-BJP alliance likely to sweep polls
Over 72% turnout recorded in Nagaland repolling
Over 72.29 per cent of the 3,248 voters cast their votes in the re-polling in four polling stations in Nagaland on Wednesday, officials said.
Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer VShashank said that the re-polling was held smoothly in the four polling stations and no untoward incident was reported.
The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the re-polling in four polling stations at New Colony polling station (Zunheboto constituency), Pangti-V (Sanis), Jaboka Village (Tizit), and Pathso East Wing (Thonohy) but election officials in Nagaland did not explain to the media the reasons.