Uncertainties ahead

It is now official, that voters in Nagaland will go to the polls on February 27,2023 to elect 60 members representing the assembly constituencies to constitute the next 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly(NLA). Now that election will be held on February 27,2023 there will be a little over 45 days before polling and during which last date for withdrawal will be February 10,2023. According to the chief minister, all political parties had decided to not undertake any election campaign throughout December 2022 due to expectation for solution. As Nagaland enters the crucial electioneering period, the will of the people will be reflected in whether it is a free will or choice or a will enforced by some village authorities or organisations. It is a matter of serious concern that in some constituencies, village authorities have taken it upon themselves the right to select and decide on a “consensus” candidate and which invariably means issuing diktat to vote on the selected/chosen candidate. Months ahead of the expected announcement for poll schedule by the Election Commission of India(ECI), the environment in Nagaland was in a state of uncertainty since every organisation including a majority of elected members had demanded and expected that solution to the Naga political issue would be announced thereby necessitating deferment of polls. Though the desire for solution was strongest this time than any other period, mainly because of the announcement by R.N.Ravi then government of India’s Interlocutor to the Naga political talks, had said that whatever was to have been negotiated has been covered and so, there was nothing more to negotiate and so, officially all talks were to end by October 31,2019. Despite everything said and done, the much expected solution still elude the people. Perhaps there never was any solid ground for expectations since the government of India was on two minds about going ahead or because there are two schools of thought over flag and constitution. The uncertainty was compounded by the announcement by Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation(ENPO)to abstain from participation in the forthcoming polls. There are 20 assembly seats in Eastern Nagaland and if no election is possible there then it could create an abnormal situation where no election is held in 1/3rd of the total number of assembly seats. The uncertainty has also caused a lull on election campaigns where almost all political parties had not loaded their election weapons. It is ironic that the solution expected to have been agreed upon especially after more than 25 years of negotiation, arises whenever the state is about to go for election. The state government has had enough time to talk about solution at any period of time, but not only when election is near. That the issue of solution has been used too often for political mileage since 2003 and yet till today, there being no concrete hint from the Centre- is sufficient indication that the Centre feels the time is not quite right. The point is, whether in delaying solution, the Centre has something up its sleeves or is simply unwilling to walk the talk? Or whether the difficulty is on tying up solution with far reaching changes in the make up and composition of present Nagaland state and gradual downgrading the status under 371A ; are issues that are being speculated.