It’s a battle to reclaim lost ground in the countdown to 2023 Mizoram Assembly elections. The state polled on November 7 and results will be announced by Dec 4, 2023. Both parties face significant challenges. BJP needs to uphold its status while Congress must strategize to reclaim power. All eyes are also on Chief Minister Zoramthanga. If he wins again in the upcoming election, he will become the longest-serving Chief Minister of Mizoram since its inception in 1987. The elections will also dictate the future dynamics of this northeastern state's politics.
Looking back, the Mizoram 2018 assembly elections were a keenly contested battle, yielding significant political shifts and surprises. With new victors and decimated contenders, the ramifications of this election extend far beyond Mizoram’s borders.
The electoral victors were the Mizo National Front (MNF), who ousted the incumbent Indian National Congress. Congress was decimated in the battle, falling from 34 seats in 2013 to just 5 in 2018. After the landslide victory, the MNF chose Zoramthanga, a former rebel leader, to be the new chief minister of Mizoram. This is his third non-consecutive term as Chief Minister.
A noteworthy highlight was the performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Although winning only a single seat of Taichawng, this was the first time the BJP managed to open its account in Mizoram.
The Mizoram 2018 assembly elections epitomized the dynamic nature of Indian politics. With the MNF's resurrection and Congress's demise in the region. Both in 2008 and 2013 Congress ruled the state.
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