Maintain peace during elections: Nagaland Governor tells parties

Kohima, Jan 26 : Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya on Friday appealed to all political parties to ensure peace and decorum during campaigning ahead of the February 27 Assembly elections.

The Naga civil society groups have earlier asked political parties and those planning to contest as independents to refrain from contesting the elections to the 60-member Assembly.

"Those engaged in election duty should discharge duties with diligence and dedication, without fear or favour, to ensure that every eligible voter exercises his or her right to vote," the Governor said in his Republic Day address here.

Stating that the Election Commission had made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of elections, Acharya said" "I am sure that with active support and cooperation of all we will be able to conduct peaceful elections."

Expressing happiness that Nagaland's churches, NGOs and civil society have come out with campaigns for clean elections in all seriousness, the Governor said: "Let us all resolve to abjure corruption and electoral malpractices and make the elections the cleanest ones."

The separatist National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah), which had signed the Framework Agreement to end Naga insurgency in August 2015 with the central government, had claimed that the decision to hold elections is bound to undermine the progress in the ongoing parleys.