GUWAHATI: A day after the Nagaland government postponed the February 1 urban local bodies (ULBs) elections, the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday ruled the polls should be held as scheduled.
Following the dramatic turn of events, trouble broke out in the commercial hub Dimapur where curfew has been imposed by the authorities starting 8 pm Tuesday after the protestors enforced a bandh on hearing the court order.
Reports suggested hundreds of youth, armed with spears, machetes and other weapons, congregated at the town. Scores had come from the state capital Kohima which is 74 km away.
They appealed to the people to come out to register their protests. Dimapur is where the protests against 33 per cent reservation for women in civic bodies are being spearheaded from.
In its ruling the court said the state government should hold the elections with 33 per cent reservation of seats for women. Following the court order, the government has decided to conduct the polls. However, they will be held in only 12 of the 32 ULBs.
The chief minister’s office said the judgement came following a petition filed by a woman who prayed that “some extra constitutional bodies”, opposed to the elections, were creating hurdles and as such, the state government be directed to ensure holding of free and fair elections with 33% reservation of seats for women.
The Court directed the state “to ensure that the election, in question, is held freely and fairly and if necessary, adequate security provided to the candidates and voters.”
On Monday, the government had decided to postpone the polls following its meeting with the Joint Coordination Committee which is a conglomerate of protesting tribal organisations.