Mizoram’s political partiers are vying to capture popular imagination and emerge on the centre stage as the countdown has got under way for the battle of the ballot. The front runners in the November ballot are the arch rivals Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress. However, the alliance of two regional players - Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) and the Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is evoking public curiosity as the strength of the party’s support base in the State remains a matter of speculation without any proven track record. While almost all the parties in the State are to yet make public their manifestoes, promises of “good governance” bind their electoral agenda in rather vague terms.

The ruling MNF, which has a comfortable majority of 22 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly has over the past few months extensively show cased its five-year achievements. Enjoying a close rapport with the NDA, which is lending outside support to the Government, the MNF has been quick to receive central funds for several projects in the State including the re-starting of the Bairabi hydro-electric project, World Bank sponsored schemes and creation of job opportunities in the self-employment sector all of which the party will bank on to retain power. However, anti-incumbency factor and growing dissatisfaction of the salaried class remain the ruling party’s “troubled zones”.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga has on several occasions found himself in direct confrontation with several employees’ lobbies pressing for hikes and perks and had to resort to stringent measures to curb the ensuing strikes and protests. The party is also yet to come clean on the Congress allegations of abetting gunrunners in the State. Although the charges levelled in the assembly by Congress MLA R Lalzirliana were challenged in the court, the image of the government has nevertheless taken a beating. The MNF’s short-lived alliance with the MPC before the last polls also negates its chances of joining hands with the alliance of two regional parties - the MPC and ZNP. The ZNP has been formed by Lalduhoma, a former civil servant. MPC, ZNP forge pre-poll alliance in Mizoram Two political parties – Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) and Zoram Nationals Party (ZNP) have decided to forge pre-poll alliance for the coming 40-member state Assembly polls scheduled to be held on November 20. 

An MPC press release said that all the 11 common constituencies in Aizawl district would go to the ZNP while the MPC would contest nine common constituencies in Lunglei district. Besides, 20 constituencies within the undivided Aizawl district and two constituencies from Lunglei district would be declared as common zones where the two parties would put up common candidates. Eight constituencies in undivided Aizawl district and five constituencies in Lunglei district would be declared as free zones where the two parties would put up their own party candidates for friendly contest, the press release said. Decision on the remaining five constituencies from the undivided Chhimtuipui district would be made soon, the press release said.

With the two major parties – the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress – going it alone, the coming Mizoram Assembly polls would now be mainly a triangular contest in almost all the constituencies. The MPC, originally formed in 1976 by Brig. Thenphunga Sailo, who became the state chief minister in 1977 now has 12 legislators in the present Assembly as the party fought the 1998 Assembly polls by forging pre-poll alliance with the MNF. The ZNP, formed by former Lok Sabha member Laldubawma in 1997 as a breakaway MNF group is not having even a single legislator in the state Assembly. Mizo body wants vote counting date advanced Aizawl district level standing committee on election has decided to move the Election Commission to prepone the date of counting of  votes in the coming Mizoram Assembly polls.

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