Cong ahead in 4 seats as counting in Nagaland begins

Kohima, Mar 8 (UNI) Congress is leading in four of the 60 seats in Nagaland where counting for the March 5 Assembly elections is in progress.

Nagaland People's Front (NPF) is leading in one seat, according to the early trends available.

Counting of votes polled on March 5 has been taken up simultaneously in 12 district headquarters.

Earlier, State Chief Electoral Officer C J Ponraj, in a release issued here, said the counting was supposed to begin at 0800 hours.

However, according to the new directives of the ECI, it started at 1100 hrs.

The ECI did not specify the reason for the delay in the counting.

The fate of 218 candidates, including four women, will be decided in the counting.

Congress has fielded 60 candidates for all the Assembly constituencies, while Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) fielded 56, followed by RJD 25, BJP 23, NCP eight, Janata Dal (S) four, Lok Janashakti Party three, Adarsh Political Party one and Independents 33. Eds: Pick up suitably from earlier series.

UNI AS MSJ ADG KLC1311