Out of 198 female candidates in the fray, 102 win Nagaland ULB polls

Guwahati: In a groundbreaking development, the Nagaland urban local body (ULB) polls, which introduced a historic 33% reservation for women for the first time in any in the state, witnessed an impressive victory for female candidates spanning ages 22 to 71, marking a pivotal juncture in the state’s political landscape.
Remarkably, both the youngest and oldest winning candidates are women, officials said.Nzanrhoni I Mozhui, a 22-year-old BJP candidate from ward 1 under Bhandari town council, emerged as the youngest victor. Sibeule, a 71-year-old NDPP candidate from ward 6 under Peren town council, secured her position as the oldest female champion.
With the successful implementation of the reservation of one-third seats for women, this electoral process witnessed a significant influx of women into the political sphere. “In an unprecedented development, out of a total of 198 women candidates who participated in the election, an astounding 102 women candidates, including those in 8 unreserved wards, emerged victorious, marking a momentous milestone in the chronicles of elections in the state,” said T John Longkumer, the state election commissioner of Nagaland.
The final tally revealed that male candidates secured victories in 176 seats, while female candidates in 102 seats, including those won unopposed.
According to the party-wise breakdown, ruling NDPP emerged as the dominant force clinching 153 seats, followed by BJP with 25 seats, other parties with 44 seats, and 56 seats going to independent candidates.
Remarkably, three candidates secured their victories by the slimmest margin of a single vote.