The Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), advocating for a separate state within Nagaland, had encouraged residents across six districts to refrain from participating in the Lok Sabha elections. Despite Nagaland voting in a single phase for its lone Lok Sabha seat, these six districts experienced a notable absence of voter turnout as citizens opted to abstain from voting in solidarity with the ENPO's cause.
Awa Loring, the Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland, confirmed the deployment of election officials across the 738 polling stations within the six districts. However, despite their presence, no voters ventured to cast their ballots in these areas throughout the day, reflecting a collective decision to support the ENPO's call for abstention.
The six districts in question, encompassing a population of over 4 lakh voters, chose to express their unity with the ENPO's demand for a separate state called Frontier Nagaland. The ENPO has emphasized the neglect of this region across various developmental aspects and its area's underrepresentation in the Nagaland Assembly, comprising 20 seats out of the total 60.
Comprised of seven tribal bodies, the ENPO has been persistent in its pursuit of statehood since 2010, citing historical neglect and marginalization of the region's interests. Before the elections, the ENPO declared a "public emergency" in these districts, prohibiting any political party from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls, underscoring the urgency and significance of their demands.
Expressing frustration over delays in addressing their grievances by the Government of India, the ENPO reiterated its stance by declaring a "public emergency," reiterating its commitment to pursuing the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
