Konyak becomes First woman to represent Nagaland in Rajya Sabha

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 22 March 2022

S Phangnon Konyak of the BJP is certain to become the first woman member of the Rajya Sabha from Nagaland, since no other candidate filed nominations for the state's lone seat for the March 31 election.

Konyak, the ruling United Democratic Alliance's (UDA) consensus candidate, will be the first BJP member from Nagaland to be elected to Parliament.

The Naga People's Front (NPF), which had stated "great determination" to field a candidate despite being a member of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which governs the state without opposition, pulled out at the last minute.

The NDPP has 21 MLAs in the 60-member legislature, the NPF has 25, the BJP has 12, and there are two independent MLAs. All of them joined together in September 2021 to establish the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in order to facilitate an early resolution to the thorny Naga political discourse.

NPF president Shurhozelie Liezietsu wrote to the legislature party a few days earlier to suggest that its working president and former home minister, Thenucho Tunyi, be nominated for the election.

However, the NPF's working committee and legislative wing failed to reach an agreement until Sunday, according to party insiders.

Chumben Murry, the NPF's legislature party secretary, responded to Liezietsu's letter, saying, "The UDA government was formed on the understanding of pursuing Naga political issue for a negotiated solution at the earliest. Consequent upon which one of the NPF MLA was inducted in the Cabinet along with chairman UDA. Under the given situation, the NPF cannot file nomination to the Rajya Sabha election which will tantamount to withdrawal from the coalition government of UDA."

Because the NPF did not file a nomination, Konyak, the state president of the BJP's women's branch, was the only one who did, earning her seat without a contest.

She will also be the second Naga woman elected to the legislature.

Nagaland has only had one female legislator since statehood in 1963, Rano M. Shaiza, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977. There has never been a female MLA in the state.

On April 2, the current Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland, KG Kenye of the National People's Front (NPF), will complete his term.

An overjoyed Konyak conveyed her gratitude to the BJP for nominating her for the position. She remarked, "BJP is a party which believes in women empowerment and there is a lot of hope in the party."  

When queried regarding her goals as the state's first female Rajya Sabha member, she stated she would decide after consulting with the state's elected representatives.

"Women comprise 50 percent of the electorate. While Naga women have been very actively involved in politics but were not forthcoming to contest the elections," she added, pushing people to participate in the election campaign.

Temjen Imna, the president of the BJP in Nagaland, said his party received the Rajya Sabha seat as part of a deal with the NDPP ahead of the 2018 assembly elections.

"We look forward to working more for women empowerment in the days to come," said Along, adding that the party's central leadership chose only the woman candidate out of nine ticket candidates.