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Aizawl, Oct 22 (IANS) Union Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday urged people to vote for the BJP candidate in Mizoram’s Dampa Assembly by-election to be held on November 11.
Addressing a public meeting at West Pheleng in Mamit district, Rijiju appealed to the people to support BJP candidate Lalhamanghaiha for Dampa seat.
The Union Minister said that if elected to the Mizoram Assembly, Lalhamangiha will be able to serve the people of the state more effectively than candidates from other parties.
Soon after reaching Aizawl, Rijiju, Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh, left for West Pheleng area, which falls under Dampa assembly constituency, and began his two-day election campaign for the by-election.
Mizoram BJP media convenor Johnny Lalthanpuia said the Union minister will address another public rally in Reik on Thursday before returning to New Delhi.
Lalthanpuia said Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh and some other central BJP leaders are likely to visit Mizoram to campaign for the party candidate.
Before the election schedule was announced by the Election Commission on October 6, both the ruling and opposition parties had announced their candidates and started campaigning in this politically important constituency.
Chief Minister and president of the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) Lalduhoma on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party’s candidate, prominent Mizo singer and preacher Vanlalsailova, will win the by-election to be held on November 11.
Lalduhoma stressed that the electoral trend in Mizoram has historically been in favor of the ruling party in assembly by-elections.
State Congress president Lal Thanjara, addressing party workers at Kangmung village on Tuesday, accused both the ruling ZPM and the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) of failing to fulfill their previous election promises.
MNF’s R. Lalthangliana, Congress’s John Rotluangliana and Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) candidate K. Zhammingthanga is also contesting, making the Dampa by-election a five-cornered contest.
Lalthangliyana (MNF) and Rotluangliyana (Congress) are both former ministers of state. Dampa assembly seat in Mizoram’s Mamit district fell vacant after the death of opposition MNF MLA Lalrintluanga Selo on July 21. Meanwhile, the scrutiny of nomination papers took place on Wednesday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.
Dampa (ST-Reserved) assembly constituency returning officer Malsavamjuala conducted the scrutiny and found all the nomination papers of the interested candidates valid and accepted, an official statement said.
According to the Election Commission’s notification, the period for filing nominations was from October 13 to 21, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 24.
Dampa constituency, bordering Bangladesh, has a large minority population, including members of the Chakma and Reang tribal communities.
According to the final voter list published on September 30, a total of 20,790 voters, including 10,185 women, are eligible to cast their votes.
The Election Commission has appointed three central observers – a general observer, a police observer and an expenditure observer – to monitor the election process. Adequate security arrangements are being made under the supervision of State Police Nodal Officer H. Ramathlengliana, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters and Law and Order).
–IANS
SC/PGH