BJP Announces Strategy for Nagaland Municipal Elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nagaland has unveiled its strategy for the forthcoming 2024 municipal and town council elections in the state. Benjamin Yepthomi, BJP Nagaland State President, outlined the party’s approach in a press release on June 8, highlighting collaborative efforts with its alliance partner, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).

According to Yepthomi, the BJP intends to field candidates based on specific arrangements, formulated after consultations with the NDPP. Candidates will be nominated by the BJP in all wards of municipal and town councils falling under the 12 assembly constituencies currently represented by BJP MLAs. Conversely, the party will abstain from contesting in wards belonging to the 25 assembly segments represented by the NDPP, and vice versa.

In assembly constituencies not held by either party, a “friendly contest” will ensue, with the BJP and NDPP fielding candidates against each other in respective municipal wards. Yepthomi emphasized the importance of mutual understanding and cooperation between the allies, aiming to accommodate each other’s candidates where feasible, prioritizing the factor of winnability.

This strategic approach is rooted in the “greater and common interest” of the People’s Democratic Alliance government in Nagaland, comprising the NDPP, BJP, and independent MLAs. The collaborative endeavor seeks to strengthen the alliance and advance the collective objectives of governance in the state.