Mizoram polls: Lowest winning margin 3 votes, highest 2,720

Aizawl, Dec. 13 (PTI): The lowest winning margin in the just-concluded Mizoram Assembly election was only three votes while the highest was 2,720.
Lalchhandama Ralte of the Mizoram National Front (MNF) won the Tuival seat with a victory margin of only three votes.
Ralte had secured 5,207 votes while his nearest rival, sitting Congress legislator R L Pianmawia bagged 5,204 votes.
Pianmawia had demanded a recounting of votes which was accepted by the Election Commission of India. But the recounting also found that the winning margin was only three votes.

Election to 40-member Mizoram Assembly was held on November 28 and counting of votes took place on December 11.
The highest winning margin in the state Assembly election was 2,720 votes. Sitting MNF legislator Lalruatkima retained his Aizawl West-II seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Lalmalsawma Nghaka by a margin of 2,720 votes.
Lalruatkima had secured 7,626 while Nghaka scored 4,906 votes.

Mizoram Chief Minister and Congress candidate Lal Thanhawla lost his Serchip seat to his Independent rival Lalduhoma by 410 votes. Lal Thanhawla got 5071 votes while Lalduhoma bagged 5481 votes.
Lal Thanhawla also lost the Champhai South seat to his MNF rival T J Lalnuntluanga by 1,049 votes. Lalnuntluanga got 5,212 votes while Lal Thanhawla received 4,163 votes.

MNF president and chief minister designate Zoramthanga won his Aizawl East-I seat by a margin of 2504 votes.
Zoramthanga got 8358 votes while his nearest Independent rival secured 5854 votes.
BJP candidate Buddha Dhan Chakma, who was the only candidate of the saffron party to win in the Mizoram Assembly election defeated his nearest Mizo National

Front rival Rasik Mohan Chaka by a margin of 1,594 votes from the Tuichawng seat.
The MNF secured 26 seats in the 40-member House while the Congress managed to bag only five seats.

Cong. to review poor electoral performance
The Congress, which suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, will review its performance in the just-concluded assembly polls at a meeting on January 18, a party leader said Thursday.

All party candidates will be asked to attend the brainstorming session that will deliberate on the reasons for the debacle of the Congress in the election to the 40-member House, Mizoram Congress spokesperson Lallianchhunga told PTI.
In the assembly election results declared Tuesday, the Congress managed to bag only five seats compared to the 34 it had won in the 2013 assembly polls.
It came a poor third behind the MNF, which won 26 seats and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), which won eight seats and is a new entrant in the state poll scenario.

Liberal liquor policy, advent of the ZPM and anti-incumbency factor were believed to be reasons due to which the Congress government in the Christian-majority Mizoram, the party’s last bastion in the northeastern region, fell.
Chief minister-designate Zoramthanga of the MNF Wednesday said the people might have rejected the Lal Thanhawla regime for its liberal policy towards liquor as against the expressed will of the churches.

He has already announced that his government would impose total prohibition.
Outgoing chief minister Thanhawla said his party’s electoral setback might be due to the opening of liquor shops in the state in 2015, after a spell of prohibition for 20 years.
Though he stopped short of accusing the churches of campaigning against his government and the Congress, Thanhawla said, “Campaigning from the pulpit should be prohibited.”

The powerful Presbyterian Church had organised mass prayers in all member churches across the state twice in 2014 against repeal of the prohibition.
Total prohibition was imposed in this highly-literate state since February 20, 1997, by the then Congress government. However, it was lifted in early 2015 by enforcing the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control Act, 2014.

Lallianchhunga said the ZPM harmed both his party and the MNF, but it eroded the vote bank of the Congress more than the MNF because of the anti-incumbency factor.
In the election held on November 28, the MNF garnered 37.6 per cent votes, while the Congress managed 30.2 per cent. ZPM nominees, contesting the polls as independents, bagged 22.9 per cent votes.

A strong anti-incumbency wave worked against the 10- year-old Congress regime, Zoramthanga further said.
Some quarters also cited another reason for the Congress’ dismal performance — resignation of the assembly speaker, home minister and two former ministers.
Thanhawla denied any serious internal fighting in the party but admitted that some people campaigned against Congress candidates due to denial of party tickets.

MNF chief submits to gov. list of elected members to be sworn-in as ministers

Mizo National Front (MNF) chief Zoramthanga Thursday submitted to the governor the names of elected members who would be sworn-in as ministers, the secretary of the MNF legislature party, Lalruatkima, said.

He, however, was tight-lipped on the number of members to be sworn-in as ministers. Lalruatkima said the National Anthem would be played during the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, followed by Bible reading and prayer by Rev Lalhmingthanga, the Chairman of the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC).

The MKHC is a conglomerate of leaders of 16 major churches in the state.
The Leprosy choir would present “Hallelujah Chorus” during a function where Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan would administer the oath of office to the members of the council of ministers.