Rio to address Tamei, Tamenglong rallies
DIMAPUR: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio will address the election rallies at Tamei and Tamenglong headquarters on Saturday. The NPF sources said Rio will arrive at Tamei by a chopper at 10:30 am and address the rally. He then will proceed to Tamenglong where he will address the election rally for Naga People’s Front (NPF) candidate Soso Lorho. Rio himself is the common candidate for NPF, JD-U, NCP and BJP in Nagaland. Saturday’s tour of Rio will be the second visit to Manipur in a week’s time. (NNN)
Candidates unaware of candidature pull
Itanagar: The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday alleged that the candidature of two of its nominees, including the one who was contesting against Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, was withdrawn but the candidates themselves had not done it. The incident made Congress candidates Tuki and Kameng Dolo, a former deputy chief minister, elected unopposed from Sagalee and Pakke-Kessang respectively as there were only two candidates in each of those two constituencies. The BJP state unit lodged a complaint with the chief electoral officer saying that its Sagalee candidate Nabam Tade had neither withdrawn his candidature nor authorised anyone to do so. BJP nominee from Pakke-Kessang Atum Welly also complained to the CEO and the police, saying he was not aware how his candidature was withdrawn as he did not do it. The election office declared on Wednesday, the last day for withdrawal, that Tuki and Dolo were set to be elected unopposed as their rival contestants withdrew their candidature. Both BJP candidates said their signatures were forged by unknown persons and demanded an investigation. Tade also urged the EC to allow him to contest the election on April 9. State Chief Electoral Officer Chandra Bhusan Kumar said that he forwarded the complaints to the EC. Altogether 11 Congress candidates were elected unopposed to the for the 60-member Assembly. (PTI)
Cash seized in Arunchal
Itanagar: Over Rs 1.5 crore in cash to influence voters have been seized from candidates and supporters of political parties in Arunachal Pradesh by flying squads and teams under the Election Commission. The cash was seized on Thursday, Election office sources said here on Friday. The teams also seized 57,242 bottles of liquor, 1651 blankets, 315 daos, 89 cell phones and 179 small and medium arms since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect in the state, the sources added. (PTI)
Five kg gold seized at Guwahati airport
Guwahati: Gold bars weighing 5 kg were seized on Friday from two persons at the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here, Excise Department officials said. The gold bars valued at over Rs 1 crore were seized from the two accused identified as G Soni and Y Soni after they arrived from Kolkata, the officials said. (PTI)
One trampled to death by elephants
Nagaon: A herd of wild elephants trampled to death a tea garden labourer and damaged several houses at Kaliabor in Assam’s Nagaon district on Friday, police said. The wild tuskers killed the labourer, identified as Ramsing Tanti (48) of Sakmuthi tea estate at Segunbari when he was working in his field in the morning hour, they said. The pachyderms then damaged several houses in the area, they added. (PTI)
Work for development, urges N’lang BJP
Kohima: The Nagaland state unit of the BJP has urged party workers to work steadfastly for the party’s development and contribute efforts for a better political future. Addressing the party’s executive meeting at Dimapur conference hall on Thursday, Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Transport P Paiwang Konyak exhorted the office bearers, district presidents and general secretaries to work steadfastly ‘as better days are in the offing.’ He emphasised on discipline, calling it the only mantra for the betterment of all, a press release issued by Secretary, Media In-charge, BJP Jaangsillung Gonmei, said on Friday. Konyak also encouraged the party workers to work towards the success of DAN candidate Neiphiu Rio in the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled to be held on April 9 in Nagaland. (UNI)
Nagaland to observe Earth Hour today
Kohima: Along with the rest of the world, Nagaland will also observe Earth Hour on Saturday night throughout the state. According to official sources on Friday, what began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 as a lights-off event calling communities around the world to fight climate change, Earth Hour is now a worldwide movement annually uniting people to protect the planet via its 60-minute switch-off. Earth Hour is held on the last Saturday of every March – closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure most cities are in darkness as the Earth rotates – encouraging individuals, communities, households, and business establishments to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol of their commitment to the planet and its well being. (UNI)