Not a single candidate from eastern Nagaland will be in the fray in the June 26 urban local body (ULB) polls after the withdrawal of nominations by the remaining six candidates on Tuesday.

“The six candidates, from the Pungro town council under Kiphire district, withdrew nominations voluntarily on the last day of withdrawal, that is today (Tuesday). This shows that eastern Nagaland has extended solidarity with the February resolution of the ENPO to abstain from any central and state elections till its demand is met,” a leader of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) told The Telegraph on Tuesday night.

The withdrawal of nominations assumed significance because eastern Nagaland had also abstained from the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, which saw the Opposition Congress winning the lone seat from the state, beating the ruling NDPP candidate. There was zero voter turnout on April 19, the day of the polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat from Nagaland.

Altogether 61 nominations were filed from four of the six eastern Nagaland districts till June 11, the last day of filing nominations. There was no nomination from the Tuensang and Noklak districts. Around 669 nominations were filed across the state for the election of three municipal councils and 36 town councils that were being held for the first time since 2004 with 33 per cent reservation for women.

The ENPO is the apex body of eight tribes from the six districts comprising eastern Nagaland, including Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator. There are 16 districts in Nagaland.

The ENPO had announced its decision to abstain from the ULB polls on May 15 over the delay in the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) as “assured” by the Centre. It had decided not to participate in any central or state elections till their demand is met.