Nagaland Elections Ruled By 바카라�Money Power바카라�, Says Professor Leading Youth Against Corruption

In the run up to the 14th legislative assembly elections in Nagaland, many residents and members of the clergy in the Christian-dominated tribal hill state have been actively participating in a 바카라�Clean Election Movement바카라�. The objective of the movement is to spread voter awareness regarding illegal and unethical voting practices and to highlight the active corruption that locals claim is a focal point of the elections. 

바카라�Proxy voting and voting in return for bribes is a big problem in Nagaland,바카라� states Dr Sani Athisu who teaches at Oriental Theological Seminary, Chumukedima. The group organised a sensitization campaign earlier last week in Dimapur with the theme 바카라�Your Stand Decides the Future바카라� and is based on clean elections and 바카라�One Person One Vote바카라�. Proxy voting includes the continuing retentions of the deceased in the voting lists, Athisu states. "The practice as such is not only illegal but abhorrent to our faith and culture. By stopping the same, we believe, will afford dignity to the dead ones and to ourselves," he adds.

바카라�Elections in Nagaland are all about money power and corruption. The main purpose of our campaign is to make voters aware of the malpractices that take place and their pitfalls,바카라� Athisu states. He adds that while the campaign reaches out to all voters, youth are the primary target audience. 바카라�The problem of corruption is a deep-seated problem and it is only by changing the mindset of the youth that long-term change can take place,바카라� Athisu tells Outlook. 

바카라�When elections occur, parties come and offer a lot of money to voters and candidates. It바카라�s totally a game of money,바카라� a Nagaland based researcher tells Outlook on condition of anonymity. He adds that while all parties are guilty of corruption, national parties have more money power than regional parties. 

The Election Commission of India has held that money power should not influence voters and is working with district magistrates, local level hill council members, religious bodies, tribal leaders, and civil society groups to ensure clean elections.  

Flying surveillance teams (FST) and static surveillance teams (SST)s have been set up to keep constant watch on election related activities. Other teams include video surveillance teams (VST) and video viewing teams (VVT) and media certification and monitoring committees (MCMC) that work with district administration and police as well as the election officers. Magistrates and nodal officers are tasked with overseeing the activities carried out by the groups. 

And yet, money has been steadily flowing under the tables. From the time of the announcement of elections on January 18 to the first week of February, various enforcement agencies working to ensure clean elections in Nagaland have seized contraband, freebies, and cash accounting for Rs 31 crore.

According to Mane Phom, student leader from Longleng, politicians in Nagaland are finally trying to become part of mainstream politics. Phom adds that several parties are trying to exploit this new ambition among local politicians to its benefit. Longleng-based environmentalist and farmer Nuklu Phom adds that it바카라�s easy to buy candidates as well and when people don바카라�t get the desired tickets or portfolios, they switch. 

The BJP and NDPP currently form the government at 20:40 ratio at present, though the former has been working on increasing its footprint in the eastern districts like Longleng. 

BJP, which previously had no presence in Nagaland, surprised observers in 2018 after it won 13 seats in the Nagaland assembly and formed a government with Neiphiu Rio바카라�s NDPP. Many in Nagaland believe that the Centre's purported support for the 바카라�Naga solution바카라� at the time seemed to help the party garner supporters in the state. Critics claim that the party has failed to provide either the 바카라�Naga solution바카라� or deliver on the promise of development. In a previous interview to Outlook, researcher Nazeem Siddiqui had highlighted the poor condition of roads and questioned the 바카라�development바카라� work done by the government in the past five years. 

The issue of corruption has been raised by the BJP바카라�s political opponents as well. Earlier this month, Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Therie spoke out against corruption. At a conference held in Dimapur, Therie rhetorically asked voters why there hadn바카라�t been any development in Nagaland despite no dearth of funds with the present government. He also publicly vowed to prevent any departments run by the government to the indulge in unethical practices during the elections. 

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been trying to make inroads in Nagaland this year, has also spoken out against corruption and said, 바카라�Politics in Nagaland is based on money power. It is a huge game of money and the Aam Aadmi Party never encourages such kind of politics.바카라�

Religious bodies have been playing their part when it comes to spreading awareness and trying to change people바카라�s mindsets by preaching Christian values. Last year, the Nagaland Baptist Church had announced a campaign for clean elections in Nagaland. In January, two villages,  Nihokhu in Niuland district and Thizama in Kohima district, were declared as 바카라�bribery free바카라� by the Election Commission. The EC is also on the lookout for 바카라�candidate setting party camps바카라� and distribution of liquor. 

In Longleng in eastern Nagaland where the dominant body Eastern Nagaland People바카라�s Organisation had been leading a call to 바카라�abstain바카라� from the upcoming elections, the mood changed in a day after the withdrawal of the boycott call on February 4. Truckloads of party workers across different political parties streamed into the towns and villages. Many were seen drinking in huddles. In Tuensang, a camp was set up near the town square early in the morning of February 6 to welcome the party바카라�s candidate PB Chang. A party worker told Outlook to ensure not to report on food being fed to the locals in a small tent behind the reception ground. 

바카라�It might be against Model Code of Conduct. We are not sure. It바카라�s just breakfast,바카라� he adds.