BJP on Friday released a list of 40 campaigners who will campaign for party candidates for Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national chief JP Nadda, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are some of the names which are on the list of campaigners.
The saffron party issued the second list of candidates comprising nine candidates for the upcoming Mizoram assembly elections. The state is slated to go to polls on November 7.
As per 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 assembly elections will be conducted in a single phase. The term of the current Mizoram assembly which is being led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga will end on December 17. The counting of the votes will be done on December 3 and the result for the same will be announced on 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 secured 18 seats in 2018. Two-time CM Zoramthanga hopes to extend his tenure in office again this year as he faces a tight competition amid the Kuki-Meitei ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur, the effect of which was felt in his state too. Another major party is 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. It emerged as an alliance of regional parties in 2018 and provided an "alternative political platform". ZPM aimed to provide a fresh approach to politics in the state, without the Congress or the MNF, while focussing purely on governance and transparency. ZPM's debut in 2018 was remarkable as it secured 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.