On 7th November 2023, the picturesque state of Mizoram is polling for 40 assembly seats in Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023. The single-phase election has shaped to be a captivating triangular contest between the incumbent Mizo National Front (MNF), the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), and the Congress party. The counting of the votes is scheduled for 3rd December with four other states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
As per the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout in Mizoram stood at 12.8 per cent as of 9 AM today.
Participation and demographics
The polling in the state of Mizoram, which is known for its lush landscapes and vibrant culture, started at 7 AM on Tuesday, November 7. The voting will continue till 3 PM. 174 candidates are contesting the elections, representing various parties and independent candidates. According to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Mizoram, there are a total of 8,51,895 eligible voters. Out of these, 4,12,969 are males, 4,38,925 are females, and the remaining one is registered as third gender. Additionally, there are 4,973 service voters in the state.
Interestingly, 50,611 voters are of the 18-19 age group in the ongoing elections. Furthermore, the sex ratio of the voters in the state is encouraging at 1,063. 63.27 per cent of the population is eligible to vote in the state. The state election commission has set up 1,276 polling stations. 525 polling stations are located in urban areas, while the remaining 751 are located in the rural region.
Unique political dynamics of Mizoram
Mizoram is the only poll-bound state out of five where primary contenders are not Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. In the previous assembly elections of 2018, the Mizo National Front (MNF) came to power ending a decade of Congress regime by securing 26 seats out of 40 with a vote share of 27.8 per cent.
Before MNF formed government in the state, the Congress ruled Mizoram for ten years.
Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) also surprised in the 2018 elections as it secured the second spot by securing eight seats out of the 40 seats.
Congress, which ruled the state for ten years, managed to secure only five seats. BJP won the first-ever seat in the 2018 elections in the northeastern state and hopes to do better in the 2023 Assembly election. However, it is believed that this year, the main contenders of the elections will remain MNF, ZPM and Congress.
MNF is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the party chose not to go for a pre-poll alliance with BJP at the state level. On the other hand, the BJP decided to contest 23 seats this year compared to the 39 seats it contested in 2018.
The Aam Aadmi Party which is debuting this year, has chosen to contest 4 out of the 40 seats.
Key candidates
Some of the prominent political figures in Mizoram elections include incumbent Chief Minister Zoramthanga, State Congress Chief Lalswata and Lalduhoma, the founder and president of the ZNP. Zoramthanga, who is also the president of MNF, is contesting from Aizawl East. Lalswata is a candidate from the Aizawl West 3 constituency, and Lalduhoma is contesting the election from the Serchhip seat.
Tawnluia, the vice president of the MNF and deputy chief minister of Mizoram, will run from Tuichang. Tawnluia, who is eighty years old, is the oldest contender. When he ran from the same seat in the 2018 assembly elections, the Deputy CM was also the oldest contender. Tawnluia will face opposition from W Chhuanawma of ZPM.
Vanlalhmuaka, BJP’s state president, is a prominent contender for the party, which made its debut in the state assembly elections of 2018 by winning one seat. He will be running from the Dampa constituency.
Mizoram’s 79-year-old CM Zoramthanga
79-year-old Pu Zoramthanga is a seasoned politician who secured a remarkable victory in the 2018 assembly elections. He was born in July 1944 and remained a prominent figure for decades in the state’s political landscape. His political journey began as an active participant in the Mizo Freedom Movement that began in 1966. From there, he rose through the ranks of the Mizo National Front (MNF) and eventually became the president of the party after the demise of Laldenga.
He has served as Chief Minister of the state for two consecutive terms from 1998 to 2008. Congress took over the state in 2008 and ruled for ten years, only to lose to Zoramthanga’s party in 2018. If MNF wins the ongoing elections, Zoramthanga may become CM for the consecutive term for the second time.
Zoramthanga’s return to power was driven by several key issues, including the controversial revocation of the state’s total prohibition of liquor. While MNF is a part of the North Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA), Zoramthanga has made it clear that he does not intend to ally with the BJP at the state level.
MNF-BJP faced differences on several issues
In recent times, Zoramthanga has shown opposition to the Union Home Ministry’s actions to curb the influx of illegal immigrants in India from Myanmar. He categorically refused the Home Ministry’s request to collect biometric data of the immigrants, claiming it would lead to “discrimination”. Furthermore, MNF voted in favour of the No Confidence Motion in August 2023 in the Lok Sabha, claiming the party was not happy with the law and order situation in Manipur.
