Mizoram parties warm up for Assembly polls

Aizawl, Oct 14 (UNI) Poll preparations are in full swing among the political parties in Mizoram following the Election Commission of India's announcement of November 29 as the date for the sixth state Assembly elections.

The term of the Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front(MNF), which is in currently in power in the 40-seat assembly, will terminate on December. With its 21 MLAs at present, the MNF is making all out efforts to ensure that the party was voted back in power.

''The party's nomination committee is scrutinising the names of probable candidates. The official candidates will be announced before or after the party's general assembly to be held on October 30,'' MNF Information&Publicity Secretary V Zokungpuia told UNI here.

This year's assembly elections will be broadly a triangular fight among the ruling MNF, the largest opposition Pradesh Congress and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which is newly formed by two smaller regional parties Zoram Nationalist Party and Mizoram People's Conference backed by the farmers' group Zoram Kuthnathawktu Pawl (ZKP).

Meanwhile, the Pradesh Congress, led by Lal Thanhawla, is considering a pre-poll alliance with the newly floated Mipui Tangrual Pawl (United People's Party) which is demanding six seats.

''We have no problems in giving six seats to the Mipui Tangrual Pawl(MTP), but it would not be in accordance with the latter's choice. The party's high command is meeting the MTP leaders today, and I am hopeful of positive outcome. We will announce our party candidates shortly,'' Congress spokesman Lalsawta told UNI over phone.

The Congress has presently nine sitting MLAs, in addition to the three MLAs, who have resigned to join Congress a few weeks back.

''The UDA will also finalise the alliance's candidature within a short while. We will announce the candidates after a joint assembly of the participating parties in early November,'' UDA spokesperson C Lallianchhunga told UNI here.

He added that three tickets would be reserved for the farmers' group ZKP for Lengteng, Aizawl South-III and Lunglei East constituencies.

Apart from the three major parties, other parties like BJP and a few independent candidates have announced their intention to fight the elections.

Even as Mizo women organisations have been strongly demanding the political parties to reserve tickets for women candidates, the latter did not give any assurance, in this regard.

UNI ZS SB AKJ NS1713