Kohima: The BJP will field 11 candidates, including a woman candidate, in the 60-seat Nagaland Assembly election scheduled for February 23.
The tickets were handed over to the candidates at the party’s office in Dimapur this afternoon in the presence of Tapir Gao, national BJP general secretary, and PB Acharya, senior BJP national leader.
So far, the BJP is the only political organization to have given ticket to a woman candidate, Rakhila, to be fielded from the Tuensang Sadar-II seat. Rakhila is the widow of ex-minister Lakiumong who died in 2006. A prominent figure among the BJP candidates is veteran politician and eight-time MLA, TA Ngullie, who will fight from the Tyui A/C in Wokha district.
He would be contesting against sitting NPF MLA Yanthungo Patton and Congress candidate Yankithung Yanthan. BJP is also the only political party in the state to be fielding a non-Naga candidate in this election. BJP state unit president M Chuba said though the party had entered into a pre-poll alliance with the ruling Naga People’s Front, there would be no seat-sharing with it, arguing that the pre-poll alliance was a ‘friendly and strategic arrangement’ only.
He also said that the party might consider fielding candidates in addition to 11 already declared. Thursday the NPF issued tickets to 60 candidates while opposition Congress wouldfield 55 candidates. (PTI)