The three municipal councils – Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayats (AKMWP), All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT), Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) – along with the other 36 town councils in Nagaland have convened an emergency consultative meeting at Hotel 2K, Kohima on 21 March.

The meeting of the three municipalities and 36 town councils is urgently necessitated in view of the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election announced by the state government, a press release from the convenor of the three municipal bodies informed.

Town councils have been asked to “compulsorily” send at least one member.

The State Election Commission recently announced that it will hold polls for 39 ULB after almost two decades on May 16.

Soon after, the three municipal councils wrote to CM Neiphiu Rio opposing the elections with 33 percent reservation for women and levy of land and building taxes, claiming that those infringe on the special rights for Nagaland guaranteed by Article 371(A) of the Constitution.

Related story: Nagaland ULB Election: 3 associations seek amendment before polls with women reservation

It may be mentioned that in 2017, the government had withheld the decision to conduct the election after clashes left two persons dead and several others injured on the eve of the voting.

The clashes also led to the setting ablaze of the Kohima Municipal Council office, and government offices in the state capital and elsewhere.

Of the 39 ULBs, Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung have municipal councils, while the rest are town councils.

Also read: Nagaland: First ULB election with women reservation on 16 May