Nagaland creates history! Elects 2 women, Hekani Jakhalu and S Kruse, as MLAs for first time in 60 years

The 2023 Nagaland Assembly elections will go down in history for electing its first ever women legislators. Well known lawyer and social entrepreneur Hekani Jakhalu and hotelier Salhoutuonuo Kruse created history on March 2 by winning from the Dimapur III and Western Angami seats respectively. Both won as NDPP candidates.
In its 60 years’ history, the Nagaland Assembly that was established in 1963 and had 13 Assembly elections had never ever elected a woman candidate.
It is not that women did not contest the Assembly elections. In 2018, of the total 195 candidates, 5 were women but none won. In 2013 there were a total of 187 candidates in the fray of which two were women who failed to win.
Though Nagaland did elect women for the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the state never elected any woman as MLA.
In 1977 Rano M Shaiza was elected to the Lok Sabha. In 2022, S Phangnon Konyak was elected as the BJP Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland and became the first woman to get a seat in the Upper House.
This time there were four women candidates in the fray. The other two women candidates were – Kahuli Sema of BJP contesting from Atoizu seat and Congress candidate, Rosy Thompson contesting from Tenning seat.
Rosy polled 1,219 votes But her rival from NCP, Namri Nchang registered a leads with 572 votes.
Kahuli Sema polled 7,692 votes while NCP’s Picto polled with 8,294 votes.

Also Read : Nagaland Polls: BJP, NDPP wins key seats; RPI (A) wins Noksen and Tuensang Sadar-II