Days before Nagalands Assembly elections on February 23,Naga Peoples Front candidate,Khriehu Liezietsus sprawling bungalow compound in the heart of Kohima was a flurry of activity. The bungalows drive was lined with cars parked bumper-to-bumper; NPF flags fluttering on their hoods. Supporters and party workers milled inside the house and out on the grounds. Steaming cups of chai did the rounds of various rooms,which were converted into makeshift war rooms. And in the midst of this frenetic bustle was 31-year-old Keviselhou Sekhose Liezietsus chief election agent. A friend of the family,Sekhose,who was initially reluctant,was roped in as the chief election agent after the election date was notified in the last week of January. I initially didnt want to do it. Thats because in a state like Nagaland,politics has a certain tarnished image. The common man does not think well of those who are in it and those who work for politicians. There is an idea in Nagaland that politics and elections mean money,guns and gundagardi, he says. His wife too was not happy at all when the offer was made. My wife was completely opposed to it. She is a very religious woman and in her mind,politics and corruption go hand in hand. Over the last month,Sekhose set up teams of his own. A law graduate,he roped in some of my lawyer friends to help him in his work. My own work comprises representing the candidate and attending all meetings on his behalf. These include meetings that the election office holds,usually held by returning officers of Chief Election Commissioners office. We have to go through training sessions with them on things like permissible expenditure,election accounts,handling postal ballots etc., he says. Sekhose has two teams working under him. One is a legal team which ensures the candidate faces no legal problems and handles cases that may come up. Fortunately we havent faced a single legal case and have had no legal problems so far, he says. The second is the accounts team that meticulously keeps a record of all expenditure,recording each transaction made and every rupee spent for the elections. The accounts are kept in a special register issued to the candidates by the Election Commission,which is submitted to the commission once elections are over. This is a really tedious job and every penny needs to be accounted for. The Election Commission has been particularly strict this time,so anyone who oversteps the limit can be disqualified. The funds for the elections are kept in a separate account and Im a joint account holder with the candidate,so I,basically,handle his election money, says Sekhose. When the work had just begun,Sekhoses days were shorter with six-seven hour work days. As the campaign picked up pace,the hours grew longer. On the day before the elections,February 22,Sekhose had his fingers crossed. Today will be a long day. I came in early and I dont really know when Im going home. Its the last stretch. How we manage our polling,how smoothly it goes everything hinges on today.
