Why Nagaland has never elected a woman MLA

In 2018, Nagaland saw five female candidates contest elections, the highest ever.

Kohima, Feb 13: The brilliance of women in the field of politics needs no introduction. Indira Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman women have held powerful portfolios like defence, foreign affairs and finance.

Despite the fact, Nagaland has failed to elect a female member of the Legislative Assembly, since its formation in 1943.

In 2018, Nagaland saw five female candidates contest elections, the highest ever.

This year too, only four are women are in fray out of 183 candidates who are fighting the polls in the 60-member Nagaland assembly.

Out of four candidates, two are from the NDPP and one each from the BJP and Congress.

NDPP has fielded Hekani Jakhalu, a social entrepreneur and the founder of YouthNet from (3 Dimapur-III Assembly Constituency). While Salhoutuonuo Kruse, a social worker with over 24 years of experience working will contest from the 8th Western Angami Assembly Constituency.

Congress candidate Rosy Thomson, will contest for the Congress from the 6th-Tenning Assembly Constituency.

BJP candidate, Kahuli Sema, a former Engineer-in-Chief of the Nagaland Public Works Department, is the second woman to hold the position of Chief Engineer among the Nagas and the first among the Sumi community.

In contrast to the rest of the nation, no woman has ever been elected to the Legislative Assembly.

In 2022, S Phangnon Konyak scripted history when she became the first woman Member of Parliament (MP) from Nagaland in nearly 40 years. Konyak became only the second MP after the late Rano M Shaiza, elected from the state to the Lok Sabha in 1977.

So far, only about 20 women have contested elections since 1963. A total of 13 elections have taken place and thirteen of them couldn't get even one-sixth of the votes.

The numbers are strange despite Nagaland having shown good social parameters. The state's female literacy rate of 76.11 per cent is much better than the national average of 64.6 per cent.

Nagas should change mindset that women can't be in decision-making bodies

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio underlined the need for people of the state to change their mindset that Naga women cannot be in decision-making bodies.

He said women are equal partners and they should get every opportunity.

Is Nagaland ready to elect its first woman MLA this time? All eyes will be on March 12.

The ruling NDPP is fighting the elections on 40 seats, the BJP is fighting on 20 seats, the Congress on 23 seats, while the NPF is contesting on 22 seats.

The LJP (Ram Vilas) is fighting the polls on 15 seats, NPP and NCP on 12 each, RPI (Athawale) on nine seats, JD(U) on seven seats, RJD on three seats, and the CPI and Rising People's Party are fighting one seat each. There are also 19 Independent candidates.

The votes will be counted on March 2.