Nagaland CEO warns Congress candidate on electoral conduct breach

Mokokchung, 18 April (MTNews): The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Nagaland has issued a stern warning to S Supongmeren Jamir, the Congress candidate for the Nagaland Parliamentary Constituency, in response to a complaint alleging a breach of electoral conduct.

The complaint, lodged by Imchainba, President of the BJP Dimapur District, and received on 17 April 2024, was forwarded to the Election Commission of India. It pertained to letters allegedly penned by Jamir and addressed to local councils. The letters were said to contain appeals of a religious nature, warning against the perceived consequences of voting for the incumbent BJP government.

Reports from the Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer of Dimapur confirmed that the letters bore genuine content expressing concerns about threats and persecution faced by religious minorities. They cautioned against potential implications of continued BJP governance and purported that the BJP and RSS were collaborating to homogenize India into a singular culture and religion. This was allegedly translated from the Ao language.

Citing provisions from the Representation of People Act, 1951, and the Model Code of Conduct, the Chief Electoral Officer emphasized that soliciting votes on religious grounds constitutes a corrupt practice and contravenes established electoral norms. Such appeals were also deemed to exacerbate existing societal divisions, violating the prescribed conduct guidelines.