BJP's S Phangnon Konyak expected to become first woman from Nagaland to be elected for Rajya Sabha

KOHIMA: S Phangnon Konyak of the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to become the first woman member of the Rajya Sabha from Nagaland, according to persons acquainted with the case, as no other contender filed nomination papers by the deadline on Monday.

Konyak, who is also the state's opposition-free coalition consensus candidate, will be Nagaland's first female member of Parliament (MP) in 45 years. In 1977, Rano M Shaiza became the first Naga woman to be elected to the Lok Sabha from the state.

Even after 58 years of statehood, Nagaland has failed to elect a female MLA.

Konyak, who holds a master's degree in English Literature from Delhi University (batch of 2002), was involved in student activism and social organisations prior to joining the BJP in 2017. She is now the BJP Mahaila Morcha's state president.

The ruling United Democratic Alliance's Naga People's Front (NPF) was set on nominating its own party candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, but backed out at the last minute.

Despite having a total of 25 MLAs and being the single largest party in the 60-member House, NPF president Dr Shurhozielie Liezietsu said the party was unable to secure the support of ten MLAs to nominate the party's candidate. The party's president stated that he felt compelled to apologise to the Naga people for no fault of his own.

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