Five-time MLA and senior Nagaland legislator from the 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency in Mokokchung, Imkong L. Imchen, passed away Tuesday afternoon, November 11, at Apollo Hospital, Guwahati, after a brief illness. He was 75.

Until his demise, he was serving as the Advisor for Information and Public Relations, and Soil and Water Conservation, Nagaland.

His mortal remains will be brought from Guwahati to Dimapur tonight and then taken to Kohima before being taken to his native village, Mangmetong, in Mokokchung district.

A state funeral of the Advisor would be held at his official residence in Kohima at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12.

According to family sources, Imchen was initially admitted to Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) on November 7 following a suspected heart attack. He spent two nights at NHAK under medical observation. The family member informed that although he was placed on a ventilator and doctors had considered kidney dialysis, his condition seemed to improve, and he was responding well to treatment. He had a history of diabetes and was reportedly suffering from chest infection and breathing problems.

On medical advice, he was referred for further treatment to a mainland hospital.

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Accompanied by a doctor, his wife, sons, and relatives, Imchen was transported by ambulance from Kohima to Dimapur on November 10 and airlifted the same day to Apollo Hospital, Guwahati. The family source said that doctors had planned to begin kidney dialysis on Tuesday, but he passed away before the procedure could be initiated.

Born in 1949, Imkong L Imchen was a veteran politician and one of the senior-most legislators in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. Imchen is known for his wit, oratory, and deep understanding of Naga politics.

He was first elected in 2003 as an Independent candidate from the 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency. He was re-elected in 2008, 2013, and 2018 on an NPF ticket, and most recently in 2023 as a BJP candidate.

Just days before his passing, Imchen had attended the closing ceremony of the All Nagaland Volleyball Tournament in Aliba village, Mokokchung, on November 6, where he mentioned feeling unwell and experienced difficulty in breathing. He reportedly left the venue early due to his condition. On November 5, he had also visited Chungtia village, under the Koridang constituency, in what turned out to be his last official visit. Chungtia was the village where his political career began, having been supported as a consensus candidate by the village in his first election.

Before entering politics, Imchen served as the President of the Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) from 1981 to 1983 and later as General Secretary of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in 1983. He also held various positions in several other organizations, actively contributing to social and public causes throughout his career.