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Aizawl, Nov 14 (IANS) The Mizo National Front (MNF) has retained Mizoram’s Dampa assembly seat, where by-elections were held on November 11 and the results were declared on Friday.
According to the Election Commission, MNF candidate and party vice president R. Lalthangliyana defeated ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) candidate, singer and preacher Vanlalsailova by a margin of 562 votes.
Former state health minister Lalthangliana got 6,981 votes, while the ZPM candidate got 6,419 votes.
Congress candidate and party state vice-president and former transport minister John Rotluangliyana got 2,394 votes, and BJP candidate Lalmingthanga got 1,541 votes.
Vice President of the People’s Conference founded by former Chief Minister Brigadier K. Zhammingthanga. T. Cello got only 50 votes. 45 votes were recorded on NOTA (None of the above).
The by-election was necessitated after the death of MNF MLA Lalrintluanga Selo on July 21.
Voting for the Dampa seat was peaceful with 83.07 per cent of the 20,790 eligible voters, including 10,185 women, exercising their franchise.
Overall, five candidates from the ruling and opposition parties contested the by-election.
The assembly constituency, which shares an unfenced border with Bangladesh and an inter-state border with Tripura, has a sizeable minority population, including the Chakma and Reang tribal communities.
The Dampa bypoll was being considered an acid test for Chief Minister Lalduhoma-led ruling ZPM as its results were expected to influence the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) elections to be held on December 3 and the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) elections later this year.
The by-election victory would have boosted ZPM’s morale amid growing criticism from opposition parties, especially the MNF.
MNF’s victory in Dampa restored the party’s strength to ten in the 40-member assembly, enabling it to retain the post of Leader of the Opposition (LOP).
Any party requires at least ten MLAs to get the post of Leader of the Opposition; Following the death of Lalrintluanga Selo, the MNF strength was reduced to nine.
The BJP, which has two MLAs in the House and is trying to expand its base in the Christian-majority border state, has fielded a candidate in the mixed-populated constituency to strengthen its hold.
–IANS
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