The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced that the returning officer had wrongly announced the result of the Tenning Assembly constituency. A tabulation error had led to NR Zeliang of the Naga People’s Front being declared as the winner instead of Namri Nchang of the Nationalist Democratic Party, an order signed by the Election Commission Secretary Arvind Kumar said.
The change in results has taken the tally of the People’s Democratic Alliance, which consists of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, to one point above the majority mark of 31 in the 60-member Assembly.
The BJP and the NDPP together won 29 seats in Nagaland, but so did the incumbent Naga People’s Front along with its ally, the National People’s Party. Both groups were two seats short of gaining an absolute majority. However, letters of support from independent candidate Tongpang Ozukum and the Janata Dal (United) Nagaland on Saturday night helped the BJP reach the halfway mark.
NR Zeliang is the brother of Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang, who won the election in Peren Assembly constituency. The Election Commission order said a tabulation error had led to NR Zeliang, who had polled 6,850 votes, being declared the winner, instead of Nchang who had secured 7,018.
Former Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav on Sunday met Governor PB Acharya to stake claim to form the government. “We are in a comfortable position to form the government and the NDPP-BJP alliance will stake claim to form the government soon,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said.
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