A multi‑cornered contest is shaping up in the April 9 by‑election for the Koridang Assembly seat in Mokokchung district, Nagaland, as major national parties and local outfits announce candidates for the Scheduled Tribes‑reserved constituency. The by‑poll follows the death of long‑time MLA Imkong L. Imchen and is expected to be closely fought, with campaigning underway and nominations being filed this month.
The Congress on Saturday named T. Chalukumba AO as its candidate for Koridang, a move confirmed by Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, who said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the nomination. The announcement comes after both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the National People’s Party (NPP), declared their nominees for the seat.
The BJP has fielded Daochier I. Imchen, son of the late Imkong L. Imchen, who will make his electoral debut in Koridang. The party’s choice was earlier announced by BJP General Secretary Arun Singh. The NPP, led nationally by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, has nominated I. Abenjang for the by‑election. A few smaller regional parties are also expected to enter the fray, further widening the contest.
The by‑poll was necessitated by the death of Imkong L. Imchen, who died at a private hospital in Guwahati on November 11, 2024, after a brief illness. He was 75. Imchen represented Koridang for more than 25 years, winning the seat five times — first as an Independent in 2003, then on Naga People’s Front (NPF) tickets in 2008, 2013 and 2018, and most recently on a BJP ticket in 2023.
Electoral officials opened nomination filing on March 16; the last date for submission is March 23, with scrutiny scheduled for March 24 and the final withdrawal date set for March 26. Results for the Koridang by‑election will be declared on May 4. The constituency has 22,390 eligible voters, including 11,013 women.
The April 9 fight will revive memories of the 2023 contest, when Imkong had beaten NPF candidate Major Toshikaba (retd.) by a narrow margin of just 276 votes, underscoring how closely watched and potentially decisive this by‑poll could be for political fortunes in Mokokchung and Nagaland.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/nagaland-bypoll-multi-cornered-contest-set-for-koridang-seat-on-april-9
Category: Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-03-21 22:19:00
