At least five people were injured and several vehicles damaged in pre-poll violence in Nagaland, police said. National People’s Party (NPP) and LJP supporters clashed in the Thonoknyu assembly seat area in the Noklak district on Sunday afternoon. Four people sustained minor injuries as the supporters of both parties engaged in heavy stone-pelting. The situation was brought under control following the deployment of state police, Indian Reserve Battalion, and Border Security Force (BSF), a police officer said.
In another incident, one person was injured and five vehicles were damaged after stones were thrown at the convoy of NPP state president Andrew Ahoto Sema when he was returning from election campaigning near Thoktsur in Kiphire district on Sunday evening, police said. Those behind the incident are yet to be identified, they said. Some persons fired some blank shots near the residence of an NDPP candidate from Dimapur II assembly seat in Indisen village on Saturday night, they added.
A member of the Indian Youth Organisation claimed that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) supporters came in six-seven vehicles and indulged in sloganeering, threw empty bottles at the candidate's house, and fired six blank shots before leaving the place. Police said two vehicles belonging to LJP supporters were seized. Polling for the 60-member assembly in Nagaland will be held on February 27, and the votes will be counted on March 2.
