On Chandel ultras’ turf, none talks of elections

CHANDEL: It is poll time, but there is no sign of the election fever here except for a few flags and posters. Neither can you find any candidates as they are all staying away from Chandel in the face of threats from suspected militants. The district, bordering Myanmar, had hit headlines in June 2015, when 18 jawans were killed in an ambush by NSCN(K), KCP and KYKL militants.
“No candidates can campaign here due to the threat from militants.Some of our supporters were kidnapped and threatened,” said SS Morhing, father of BJP candidate SS Olish (42), the only Naga woman in the fray in the assembly polls.
Chandel constituency has over 45,000 voters, of which Nagas are 26,000 and Kukis 18,000. The remaining voters belong to the smaller communities. Altogether seven candidates — four Nagas and three Kukis – are in the fray.
There are reports that two Kuki rebel outfits — United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) and Kuki National Army (KNA) — are backing different Kuki candidates. Unlike in other Naga-majority seats, where NSCN(IM) cadres have allegedly backed NPF candidates, in Chandel, the NPF candidate did not get the outfit’s support.
Sources, however, said local NSCN-IM cadres were backing an Independent candidate, TS Warngam, who resigned as vicepresident of United Naga Council (UNC) to contest the polls. But Warngam’s supporters fl atly rejected such claims.