Pre-poll violence has been reported from at least three districts in Nagaland which involves arson, inter-party clashes, and abductions.
Nagaland is going to polls on February 27 along with Meghalaya and results will be out on March 2 along with the assembly elections results of Tripura that went to polls earlier this month.
In Nagaland, pre-poll violence has recently been reported in districts of Mon, Kiphire, and Noklak. Mon district shot to headlines in 2021 when a botched Indian Army operation there led to deaths of 14 civilians.
Kidnapping, arson in Mon district
Two persons were kidnapped from the residence of a Naga People's Front (NPF) candidate and a vehicle was torched in Mon district, said a top police officer on Tuesday.
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One person was later released by the kidnappers while an operation was on to rescue the other, said the official.
“There was an incident of two persons being taken away from the residence of the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) candidate from Tizit assembly constituency last night,” Mon superintendent of police T Uniel Kichu told PTI.
The two persons were not party members but were staying at the residence of the NPF candidate.
A vehicle was also torched in the same area where the kidnapping took place, said Kichu.
He added, "We have registered a case and are hopeful of making some arrests soon."
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Violence in Kiphire district
One person was injured and five vehicles were damaged after stone-pelting at the convoy of National People’s Party (NPP) state president Andrew Ahoto Sema.
Sema was was returning from election campaigning near Thoktsur in Kiphire district on Sunday evening at the time of attack, police said.
Those behind the incident are yet to be identified, said officials as per PTI, adding that some persons fired some blank shots near the residence of an NDPP candidate from Dimapur II assembly seat in Indisen village on Saturday night.
A member of the Indian Youth Organisation claimed that Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV) supporters came in six-seven vehicles and indulged in sloganeering, threw empty bottles at the candidate's house, and fired six blank shots before leaving the place. Police said two vehicles belonging to LJP supporters were seized.
Clashes in Noklak district
At least five people were injured and several vehicles damaged in pre-poll violence in Nagaland on Sunday afternoon in Noklak district.
To maintain order, police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the area.
National People’s Party (NPP) and LJP supporters clashed in the Thonoknyuassembly seat area in the Noklak district on Sunday afternoon. Four people sustained minor injuries as the supporters of both parties engaged in heavy stone-pelting.
The situation was brought under control following the deployment of state police, Indian Reserve Battalion, and Border Security Force (BSF), a police officer said.
(With PTI inputs)
