The National People’s Party (NPP) has demanded a re-poll in several polling stations under the Alichen cluster in Nagaland, alleging irregularities and unusually low voter turnout in the 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency.
In a formal complaint submitted to the Election Commission of India, the party flagged what it described as an “abnormal” drop in voter participation in Alichen. According to data cited by the NPP, only 1,323 votes were cast out of 3,310 registered voters, leading to a turnout of about 39.9 per cent.
The party pointed out that neighbouring polling areas recorded much higher turnout figures, ranging from over 70 per cent to as high as 99 per cent. It claimed that Alichen alone accounted for a large share of the uncast votes in the constituency, raising concerns over what it termed as “localised suppression” rather than a normal variation.
The NPP further alleged that in some polling stations, turnout dropped sharply to as low as 15 per cent and 23 per cent. It claimed that the presence of security personnel, particularly IRB forces, created fear among voters, which may have discouraged people from coming out to vote.
The party also raised concerns over a disruption in the polling process. It alleged that voting was halted for nearly an hour due to actions by election officials, including strict identity verification checks carried out by observers and district authorities.
According to the complaint, no steps were taken to compensate for the lost time, such as extending polling hours. The party said this affected rural voters, women, elderly citizens and daily wage earners the most.
The NPP also expressed concern over the possible misuse of state machinery, stating that such developments could have influenced the outcome in what it described as a closely contested seat.
