In a historic event, Nagaland elected two women candidates, Salhoutuonuo Kruse and Hekani Jakhalu, for the first time in the 2023 assembly election. Both candidates are from the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), with Kruse winning from the Western Angami AC and Jakhalu clinching the Dimapur-III constituency. Kruse is a local hotel owner who contested against an Independent candidate, while Jakhalu is a Delhi University graduate and a faculty member there who has received the Nari Shakti Puraskar award from the President of India.
Nagaland has never had a woman MLA in the 60-member assembly since it gained statehood in 1963. This year, four women candidates contested the election, including Jakhalu, Kruse, Rosy Thomson of the Congress, and Kahuli Sema of the BJP. Nagaland has only had one woman, Rano M Shaiza, elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977, and S Phangnon Konyak was elected as the BJP Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland in 2022.
Partywise winnings in polls
The NDPP-BJP alliance won five seats and was leading in 34 seats in the Nagaland assembly election, with the Election Commission of India announcing the results. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) won two seats - Tuensang Sadar II seat and Noksen constituency - in their first-ever Nagaland assembly election. The counting of votes for the 59 Nagaland assembly seats began at 8am, with the postal ballots followed by EVMs.
NDPP supremo Neiphiu Rio was leading by over 13,000 votes against his nearest Indian National Congress party rival Seyievilie Sachu, while Deputy Chief Minister and BJP nominee Y Patton was leading by over 7,000 votes in the Tyui seat.
