Team News Riveting
Kohima, March 2
The ruling NDPP-BJP alliance retained power in Nagaland, winning 33 seats in the 60-member Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
However, the state scripted history as two women were elected for the first time to the state Legislative Assembly. According to the latest election results from the state that has tactical importance, the NDA has got an absolute majority. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) won 21 seats while its alliance partner got 12 seats.
Two women candidates, fielded by the NDPP – Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse – have won the elections from their respective constituencies.
While Hekani Jakhalu won the elections from Dimapur III constituency, Salhoutuonuo Kruse has won the Western Angami seat. Both will be the first lawmakers in the history of Nagaland politics. Hekani Jakhalu Kense is a lawyer and social entrepreneur by profession. She had set up an NGO – YouthNet Nagaland – to help the youths of Nagaland pursue business opportunities. She was recognised with the Nari Shakti Puraskar award in 2018.
Hekani Jakhalu was born in Dimapur, Nagaland. She was educated at Bishop Cotton Girls’ School in Bengaluru and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. She then studied for a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Delhi and took a Master of Laws at the University of San Francisco.
Jakhalu contested against sitting MLA and veteran politician Azheto Zhimomi (LJP), Vetetso Lasuh (INC), Kahuto Chishi (Independent), and Lun Tungnung (Independent). She romped home with a comfortable margin of 1,536 votes.
Salhoutuonuo Kruse hails from Khonoma – Asia’s first green village – in Nagaland. Salhoutuonuo Kruse is a local hotel owner. Salhoutuonuo Kruse won by a narrow margin of seven votes, defeating sitting MLA Keneizhakho Nakhro (Independent).
There were four women candidates in the fray. BJP’s lone female candidate Kahuli Sema from Atoizu AC missed the mark after leading the winning trend in the early hours. Indian National Congress (INC) candidate Rosy Thomson from Tenning AC, however, did not come out as a tough fight against other candidates.
