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Aizawl, October 21 (IANS) Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) candidate K. By Jhammingthanga On Tuesday, the last day of filing of nomination papers, Mizoram is witnessing a five-cornered political contest in the by-election for Dampa assembly constituency on November 11.
Election officials said that MPC candidate and party vice president K. Zhammingthanga submitted his nomination papers to Returning Officer Malsawmzuala for the Dampa by-election on Tuesday.
Officials said four candidates from the ruling and opposition parties had earlier filed their nominations for the by-election.
Scrutiny of nominations will be held on Wednesday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.
Voting for Dampa seat will be held on November 11 and counting of votes will take place on November 14.
Dampa assembly seat in Mizoram’s Mamit district fell vacant after the death of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA Lalrintluanga Selo on July 21.
Political observers noted that once a formidable political force under the leadership of the late former Chief Minister Brigadier T. Selo, who served from June to November 1978 and again from May 1979 to May 1984, the MPC had ushered in a new phase of governance in Mizoram in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
However, the party’s influence gradually declined after Selo’s tenure as Chief Minister ended.
Since then, the MPC has struggled to regain its footing amid the dominance of other local and national parties such as the Mizo National Front (MNF), Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Congress and the BJP.
The candidates who had earlier filed their nomination papers are ruling ZPM’s Vandalasiolava, MNF’s R. Lalthangliyana, Lalhangaiha of BJP and John Rotluangina of Congress.
ZPM’s Vanlalsailova is a prominent Mizo singer and preacher, while MNF’s Lalthangliyana is the party vice-president and former health minister of Mizoram.
Congress candidate Rotluangliana is the party’s state vice-president and former minister, and BJP candidate Lalhamangiha is a former Congress leader who recently joined the party.
The Election Commission has appointed three central observers – a general observer, police observer and expenditure observer – to monitor the election process and related activities.
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).
With five strong candidates in the fray, the upcoming by-election is expected to be one of the most watched electoral battles in Mizoram.
Before the election schedule was announced by the Election Commission on October 6, both the ruling and opposition parties had announced their candidates and launched their campaigns in this politically important constituency.
Dampa assembly seat, bordering Bangladesh, has a sizeable minority population, including 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.
–IANS
SC/KHz