Hakani Jakhalu of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) became the first female MLA to be elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
No female MLA was elected in a total of 13 state assembly seats in the state till date.
Jakhu won the Dimapur III seat by defeating Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Azheto Jhimomi by 1,536 votes.
Another NDPP female candidate, Salhunuonu Cruce defeated her independent rival by just seven votes in the Western Angami constituency. Both became the first female MLA from Nagaland.
In 2019, she won the Nari Shakti Puruskar from the Ministry of Child and Women Development.
Nagaland was formally recognized as a separate state on December 1, 1963, with Kohima declared as its capital.
