Kohima, Feb 27, 2023, IANS

Kohima, Feb 27 (IANS): More than 57.06 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 p.m. on Monday in the Nagaland Assembly polls, currently underway in 59 of the 60 Assembly constituencies amid tight security, election officials said.

Voting started at 7 a.m. in 2,291 polling stations, manned by 11,500 staff. It will end at 4 p.m.

The election officials have said that except one, no major untoward incident has been reported so far.

In Akuk village under the Bhandari Assembly constituency in Wokha district, supporters of a candidate attacked the rival party workers using sharp weapons in which three persons were injured.

The state's Chief Electoral Officer, V. Shashank Shekhar said that around 13.16 lakh voters, including 6,55,144 women, will decide the electoral chances of 183 candidates, including four women nominees.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, 190 candidates, including five women, had contested the elections.

BJP candidate Kazheto Kinimi was re-elected unopposed from the Akuluto Assembly constituency after his only opponent and Congress nominee Khekashe Sumi withdrew his candidature.

To ensure a free, fair and violence-free election, the Union Home Ministry, at the request of the state government, has provided 305 companies of Central Armed Police Force, while the state security forces have also been deployed across the mountainous state.

As many as 12 parties comprising national and state parties are in the fray.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party, Opposition Congress and the Naga People's Front (NPP) are the main contenders in the poll battle.

The counting of votes will be held in Nagaland on March 2 along with Meghalaya and Tripura.