Hekani Jakhalu from Wungram Colony in Dimapur, is trying to make history by becoming the first woman to be elected in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. She is one among the four women who are contesting to get a seat in Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).
Jakhalu returned to Nagaland in 2005 after pursuing her higher education in Lady Shri Ram College for Women and the Faculty of Law at Delhi University and completing her LLM from the University of San Francisco. After returning, she founded an NGO called ‘Youthnet’ with the aim of youth empowerment.
In Nagaland, the NDPP leads the Opposition-less government and is in a pre-poll alliance with the BJP. Among the 184 candidates contesting for the 60 seats, there is hope that the state might get at least one woman MLA in the upcoming elections.
Despite heavy competition, Kahuli Sema (57) is contesting on a BJP ticket from Atoizu. She joined politics last year as a result of her retirement from the Public Works department as engineer-in-chief. Moreover, she was the second woman in Nagaland to hold this post.
Salhoutuonuo Kruse (56) is the candidate from Western Angami for NDPP. She has years of work in civil society organizations such as advisor to the Angami Women’s Organization. From Congress, Rosy Thomson (58) is contesting from Tening. She has been a Congress party worker for decades now.
One of the biggest hurdles for women attempting to contest Assembly elections in Nagaland is getting a ticket from a political party.
The state has already witnessed violent protests when the state government planned to implement 33% women’s reservation in Urban Local Body polls in 2017. The protestors claimed that the move was against Naga customary laws. In Article 371(A) of the Indian Constitution, Nagaland is given the state special status which overall protects its traditional way of life.
The Nagaland government announced in April 2022 that the state was going to implement the 33% reservation policy.