Landslide win in Mizoram saving grace for Congress

By Sushanta Talukdar




Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhalwa with Congress supporters in Aizawl.

The Congress has retained power in Mizoram with a landslide victory in the Assembly elections held on November 25, the results of which were declared on Monday.

In the elections to the 40-member Assembly, the Congress has won 33 of the 39 seats declared so far.

Chief Electoral Officer of Mizoram Ashwani Kumar told The Hindu that the results of Lawngtlai East constituency would be announced only on December 12 as re-polling would be held on December 11 in one polling booth where the Electronic Voting Machine failed.

In the 2008 Assembly polls, the party returned to power, ending a 10-year MNF rule, by winning 32 seats.

Now, the Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF)-led Mizoram Democratic Alliance (MDA) of three regional parties has won six seats. The MNF won five seats. Of the two other MDA constituents, the Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) won one seat, while the Maraland Democratic Front (MDF) drew a blank. The MDA put up common candidates with the MNF contesting 31 seats, the MPC eight and the MDF one. In 2008, the MNF won three seats, the MPC two and the MDF one.

The Zoram Nationalist Party, which had two seats in the outgoing Assembly, contested 38 seats this time but is yet to open its account. The Bharatiya Janata Party contested 17 seats but failed to win a single seat this time too.

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla won from both Serchhip and Hrangturzo seats. In Serchhip, he won by a margin of 734 votes, defeating his nearest MNF rival C. Lalramzauva, while in Hrangturzo he defeated his MPC rival Lalthansanga by a margin of 1,528 votes. Mr. Lal Thanhawla described his party’s victory as “a positive mandate by the people of Mizoram for good governance, running a corruption free government, for success and continuation of the New Land Use Policy (NLUP) — the flagship programme of his Government — and for preventing insurgent elements from using Mizoram as a safe haven.”

“The people have rejected outright the baseless campaign by Opposition parties that there had been corruption in the State. This mandate is also for our flagship programme NLUP because we have successfully implemented it achieving the targets promised and set by us,” Mr. Lal Thanhawla told The Hindu on telephone from Aizawl.

Mr. Lal Thanhawla said the Congress Legislature Party would meet on Wednesday to elect its leader, who would be sworn in as Chief Minister. Party sources said electing Mr. Lal Thanhawla would be a mere formality. If elected, it would be his fifth term as Chief Minister.