Aizawl East-1 Constituency : A Nip And Tuck Affair Of Congress And MNF

Aizawl East-1 constituency is one of the most closely watched constituency in Mizoram. The constituency comes under the Aizawl district of the state. The current Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga came to power by competing from this constituency in 2018.

Ever since the declaration of Mizoram as full state, which happened in 1987, it’s mainly Mizo National Front, Indian National Congress and Mizoram People’s Conference that fought in Aizawl East-1 constituency

The constituency has witnessed several seat changes over the years, mainly between Indian National Congress and Mizo National Front. This year would be a little hard for Mizo National Front (MNF) to secure their seat as Congress and Zoram people’s Movement (ZPM) has tightened their hold on the constituency.

In 2018, Mizo National Front won the seat by 42.75 percentage. Zoramthanga won the seat by beating an independent candidate K Sapdanga. When Zoramthnaga won 8, 358 votes, Sapdanga gained 5,854 (29.94 percentage) votes. With a difference of 2,504 votes, Zoramthanga secured his position in Aizawl East-1.

Before Zoramthanga, the seat was occupied by Congress. R Lalrinawma of Indian National Congress (INC) won the seat by competing against Lalmangaiha Sailo of Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC). INC won the seat with the margin of  422 votes. The total vote gained by Lalrinawma was 6,221 votes (37.91 percentage). It can be considered as a narrow win for Congress as Mizoram’s People Conference collected  5,799 votes (35.34 percentage).

When Saiguro Sailo of MNF won in 1987, J. Lalsangzuala of Indian National Congress ruled for next ten years by bagging the constituency in two consecutive assembly election (during 1989 and 1993). In the 1998 Assembly Election, Lalhmingthanga of Mizoram People’s Foundation took power from Congress.

In the election of 2003, Mizoram National Front, who was pushed to the back seat previous twenty years, came back and won the constituency. But Congress was not ready to step back. The party won held the seat in next two years, in 2008 and 2013, as R. Lalrinawma as the chief. As Zoramthanga snatched the seat in 2018, this election will be a nip and tuck affair between Mizo National Front and Indian National Congress.