Mizoram Assembly Polls: BJP Issues 2nd List Of 9 Candidates

The BJP has released a second list of nine candidates for the upcoming Mizoram elections.

The BJP has issued the second list of nine candidates for the upcoming Mizoram elections after the party released the names of its candidates for 12 earlier in the day. The state is slated to go to polls on November 7.  

According to the BJP's list for the Mizoram assembly polls, R Lalbiaktluangi will contest from the Lunglei West seat, Shanti Bikash Chakma from Thorang, Malsawmtluanga from Hachhek and Vanlalhmuaka from the Dampa seat. The BJP's central election committee, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda, approved the names of the candidates for the Mizoram and Chhattisgarh assembly polls.

The 40-seat Mizoram assembly will go to polls on November 7. The election will be conducted in a single phase. The term of the current Mizoram assembly led by CM Zoramthanga will end on December 17. The counting will be done on December 3 and the result will be announced the same day.

The major parties/alliances contesting the polls this year are MNF, ZPM, Congress, and BJP.

The Mizo National Front (MNF), led by CM Zoramthanga. It won 18 seats in 2018. Two-time CM Zoramthanga will hope to extend his tenure in office this year as he faces stiff competition amid the Kuki-Meitei ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur, the effect of which was felt in his state too.

Another major party in the state is the Congress. However, its grip on the state has loosened over the past few years. In 2018, it managed to bag just 5 of the 40 seats. 

The Zoram People's Movement or ZPM is the third major political player in Mizoram that emerged as an alliance of regional parties in  2018 to provide an "alternative political platform". ZPM aimed to provide a fresh approach to politics in Mizoram, without the Congress or the MNF, focussing purely on governance and transparency. ZPM's debut in 2018 was phenomenal as it managed to win 8 out of 40 seats, surpassing even the Congress.

The BJP leads the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), of which the MNF is a part. But the saffron party is yet to make a significant mark in the state on its own. Mizoram is the only state in the country which doesn't have a single woman MP or MLA at present. To top it, Mizoram has had only four women MLAs till date. 

(With inputs from PTI)