One woman among 6 candidates vying for lone Mizoram LS seat

AIZAWL — Like previous elections in 2019, a multi-corner contest will be held in Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha seat on April 19 as six candidates including a woman are in the fray after the last date of withdrawal of candidatures on Saturday.

After the scheduled time of withdrawal of nominations on Saturday, an election official said that there are six candidates, including a female nominee of Mizoram People’s Conference Rita Malsawmi and one independent candidate vying for the Mizoram Lok Sabha seat, reserved for the tribals.

The ruling Zoram People’s Movement, which is contesting the parliamentary election for the first time, has put up entrepreneur Richard Vanlalhmangaiha while the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) fielded its sitting Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena, the Congress nominated Lalbiakzama and BJP put up its state President Vanlalhmuaka.

Congress candidate Lalbiakzama (64) is a former police officer and Mizoram’s ex-Home Secretary while People’s Conference candidate Rita Malsawmi is a Mizo singer and lyricist.

MNF’s sitting Lok Sabha member from Mizoram C. Lalrosanga had expressed his reluctance to contest again, prompting the party to choose Vanlalvena.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, six candidates including a woman, had contested.

As per the final electoral rolls, published on February 8, there are a total of 8,61,277 electors including 4,41,520 female voters and 4,980 service voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the 1,276 polling stations, which is 101 more than that of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram government has declared April 19 as a paid holiday for every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and registered as voters in Mizoram to enable them to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha poll.