What's At Stake: Looking At Mizoram Campaign Ahead Of November 7 Elections (Image: Twitter/DIPRMizoram)
Two more days left and as the central election body scheduled, the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram will go to their assembly polls on Tuesday, November 7. The election will be conducted in a single phase and results are said to be declared on December 3 along with four other states – Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
Mizoram State Assembly
The Mizoram Legislative Assembly is consisted of 40 seats in total, and on which 21 are needed for a majority. The major political parties of the soil for the upcoming election are MNF (Mizo National Front), INC (Indian National Congress), ZPM (Zoram’s People Movement), BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), and AAP (Aam Aadmi Party).
As of now, by the 2018 elections, the state’s ruling party is MNF with its President Zoramthanga as the Chief Minister. He contested from Aizwal East and is repeating the same this year also. MNF then won with a clear majority of 26 seats out of the 40. ZPM and INC secured eight and five seats respectively. BJP opened their account and secured a seat.
It was in the 2013 elections, Congress secured a clear victory by winning 34 seats, a record. The party earned 32 seats in 2008 also. The BJP has very limited presence in the state as the biggest challenge to the saffron party is Mizoram’s majority Christian population and the dominance of regional parties.
Being the incumbent ruling party of the state, MNF is the strongest regional player of the land and have formed government four times. For the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, it formed an alliance called United Democratic Front with seven other parties including BJP, to contest the only seat in Mizoram. Since 2014, MNF has been a part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and an ally of the NDA at the Centre. But they does not work with the saffron party inside the state.
The ZPM is also a regional political party formed as an alternative to the MNF. Established in 2018, the party astounded everyone with eight seats in its debut assembly polls. As of now ZPM is a significant player in Mizoram politics and the upcoming election is expected to be a close contest between MNF and ZPM.
Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023
According to the Mizoram Directorate of Information and Public Relations, a total of 174 candidates have filed their nominations for the upcoming Mizoram Legislative Assembly elections. The list includes 27 independent candidates and 16 female nominated candidates. MNF, ZPM, and Congress fielded 40 candidates each and BJP and AAP fielded 23 and 4 candidates respectively. 25 of the MNF candidates are incumbent legislators. Four constituencies, namely Aizawl North-III, Aizawl South-I, Serchhip, and Lunglei West, have the highest number of candidates and will witness a six-cornered contest. On the other hand, Tawi, Champhai South, East Tuipui, and South Tuipui constituencies have the least number of candidates and will see a three-cornered fight.
Looking Forward to 2023 Elections
The MNF and BJP are constituents of the ruling NDA. The ZPM on the other hand is a regional political movement who emerged as the major opposition party of Mizoram in 2018, relegating Congress to the third position. As said by the ZPM’s chief minister candidate Laldukoma, the party will remain independent and maintain its identity free from New Delhi’s control – they will join neither NDA nor the INDIA bloc if it comes to power in Mizoram. Meanwhile the ties between MNF and BJP has a scratch in the wake of ethnic violence in Manipur. They have failed to stop attacks against the ethnic communities and especially Christians in the neighbouring state. Around 200 were reportedly killed and thousands displaced in clashes between Meiteis and Kukis since May 4 of this year. Mizoram is currently hosting thousands of Kuki refugees and the incumbent Chief Minister and MNF leader has already expressed that “it is not the time to be close with BJP”.
The ZPM has also expressed their concerns towards the displaced people and promised better treatment if they came into power. BJP, currently having only one legislator for the state also has strong expectations. The party is ready to secure an alliance with either MNF or ZPM and to form a government. Congress, as the party’s Chairperson Sonia Gandhi declared, is looking forward to form a government as it is “no time for experiments, but vote for peace, progress, and prosperity in the northeastern state”.
The nomination list filed:
