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Journalism of Courage
Nagaland now has two women MLAs, with the NDPP’s Salhoutuonuo Kruse winning from the Western Angami constituency. The state, which has had 13 Assemblies so far, never had a woman MLA before Thursday’s result. Hekani Jakhalu, who won from the Dimapur III constituency, is the other woman MLA to be elected to the House.
Kruse and Jakhalu were the only two women candidates fielded by the NDPP. The BJP’s Kahuli Sema and the Congress’s Rosy Thomson, the two other women candidates in the fray, are trailing in their constituencies.
For Kruse, 56, this election was her first foray into electoral politics.
She has, however, long been an active part of civil society organisations, having served as president and subsequently advisor of the Angami Women Organisation. Her late husband Kevisekho Kruse had been an NDPP candidate from the Western Agami seat in 2018. At the time, he had lost to the NPF’s Keneizakho Nakhro.
Nakhro went on to become one of the 21 Naga People’s Front (NPF) MLAs who jumped ship to the NDPP last year. He was, however, denied a ticket from the party this time and went on to contest as an Independent. Kruse and Nakhro faced off in a nail biting contest, and Kruse finally pulled through with a lead of just seven votes.
