The National People’s Party (NPP) has demanded a re-poll in several polling stations under the Alichen cluster in Nagaland, raising concerns over what it described as unusual voting patterns in the 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency.In a complaint submitted to the Election Commission of India, the party pointed to a sharp drop in voter turnout in Alichen. According to figures cited by the NPP, only 1,323 votes were cast out of 3,310 registered voters, bringing the turnout to around 39.9 per cent. This, the party said, was much lower than neighbouring areas where polling ranged from over 70 per cent to as high as 99 per cent.
The party said Alichen accounted for a large share of uncast votes in the constituency. It also referred to some polling stations where turnout reportedly dropped to as low as 15 per cent and 23 per cent. The NPP argued that such figures suggest a localised issue rather than normal variation. The party further alleged that the presence of security forces, including IRB personnel, created fear among voters. It also claimed that polling was halted for nearly an hour due to actions by election officials, including strict identity checks by observers and district authorities.
According to the NPP, no steps were taken to make up for the lost time, such as extending polling hours. It said this affected rural voters, women, elderly people and daily wage earners the most. Raising concerns over possible misuse of state machinery, the party said the situation may have impacted the outcome in what it described as a closely contested seat. The NPP has submitted video evidence along with its complaint and urged the Commission to take immediate action.
