Two candidates withdraw from Nagaland Assembly bypoll

Kohima, March 29 (IANS) Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) Toshipokba Longkumer and National People's Party (NPP) Tinujungshi Longkumer withdrew their nomination papers for contesting the by-election from Nagaland's Aonglenden Assembly constituency.Both have declared their support to ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party's (NDPP) nominee Sharingain Longkumer. The by-election was necessitated due to death of NDPP legislator Imtikumzuk in September 2018. Nagaland's Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said that the withdrawals brought down the number of candidates in Aonglenden to two - Alemjongshi Longkumer of the Congress and Sharingain Longkumer from the NDPP.Nagaland's sole Lok Sabha seat will see a four-cornered contest as none of the four candidates - NDPP's Tokheho Yepthomi, Congress' K.L Chishi, NPP's Hayithung Tungoe and Indepdent M.M. Thromwa Konyak - withdrew their nominations.Both elections will be held on April 11.
--IANS rrk/vd