Mizo CM to face tough contest in upcoming Assembly polls

The CM will face tough competition from C Lalramzauva, an advocate and nominee of Opposition Mizoram Democratic Alliance (MDA)

The race to Serchhip constituency in central Mizoram would be keenly watched as four-time Chief Minister PU Lalthanhawla, contesting from the seat, would face tough competition from C Lalramzauva, an advocate and nominee of Opposition Mizoram Democratic Alliance (MDA).

Lathanhawla had contested and won six times from this seat and lost only once in 1998 to a retired engineer K Thangzuala of the Mizo National Front (MNF).

This time, MDA, the three-party alliance of the MNF, Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) and the Maraland Democratic Front (MDF) is trying to repeat the 1998 debacle of the Chief Minister.

In 2008, Lalramzauva, who contested the polls from Serchhip constituency on a Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) ticket, lost to Lalthanhawla by a margin of 952 votes and by a margin of 1,399 votes in 2003.

The Chief Minister would also contest from Hrangturzo constituency in Sechhip district, which was being occupied by Lalthansanga of the MPC, now a common candidate of the MDA.

Another seat to watch out for would be the East Tuipui in Mizoram-Myanmar border Champhai district where former chief minister Zoramthanga of the opposition MNF was pitted against a retired senior bureaucrat T Sangkunga of the Congress.

Till recently, Sangkunga was the president of the powerful central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the apex Mizo body.

Zoramthanga, the two-time chief minister and former underground leader, had contested and won from this seat in 1998 and vacated the seat in favour of his close aide K Vanlalauva as he also won from Champhai seat, his home turf.