Dimapur: The National People’s Party (NPP) on Wednesday alleged that anti-social elements are impersonating personnel of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB), Nagaland, and are currently stationed in Chungtia, Longkhum and Mangmetong under the 28-Koridang (ST) assembly constituency, which is going for by-election on April 9.The NPP has fielded I Abenjang as its candidate for the bypoll.In a complaint letter to the EC, NPP national secretary Saidul Khan said these individuals, under the guise of security personnel, are exercising unauthorised control over the movement of villagers, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and potentially influencing or suppressing free voter participation.The party said such impersonation poses a direct and grave threat to the integrity of the electoral process, and the presence of unverified armed personnel or impersonators in sensitive locations raises the risk of voter intimidation and suppression, booth capture or coercive influence and disruption of law and order on polling day.The letter urged the EC to deploy central paramilitary forces in the constituency immediately.The NPP feared that, if not addressed immediately, this situation would seriously compromise the conduct of free and fair elections and urged the commission to act swiftly and decisively to safeguard the sanctity of the election.Meanwhile, Nagaland DGP Rupin Sharma told reporters in Kohima on Tuesday that security has been stepped up in the constituency following pre-poll violence that left one person dead, with an additional company of security personnel deployed to the area.Sharma said the reinforcement has already reached the constituency, taking the total deployment to four companies of the IRB, along with other security personnel.Pre-poll violence was reported on April 6 at Longkhum between supporters of Independent candidate Major (retd) Toshikaba and BJP candidate Daochier I Imchen, as well as between rival groups in Mangmetong.The Mokokchung district administration imposed a night curfew in Longkhum, Mangmetong and Alichen areas, including the second NAP camp, with immediate effect from April 6.
