AIZAWL: Mizoram’s main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) on Friday named sitting Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena as the party’s nominee for the lone Lok Sabha seat, polling of which is scheduled on April 19.
Vanlalvena, 54, was elected to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Mizoram in June 2020.
MNF president and former chief minister Zoramthanga declared Vanlalvena as the party’s candidate during a function held at the MNF office-Mizo Hnam Run, in Aizawl.
Speaking on the occasion, Vanlalvena on Friday said that the BJP led NDA regime should be put in check and fought back vociferously.
The Mizoram MP, who remains vocal in issues related to minorities, also said that he constantly opposes NDA ideologies in the present Rajya Sabha.
Interestingly, MNF is a member of BJP led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and an ally of the NDA at the Centre.
But the party doesn’t work with the saffron party in the state.
Vanlalvena said that the NDA will retain power in the forthcoming parliamentary polls.
He said that the NDA, if retained power, will apparently introduce Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country for which the NDA government should be opposed vociferously.
“It appears that the NDA will retain power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls. If it retains power there is the likelihood that the UCC will be introduced in the country. For this reason, the NDA government should be opposed and fought back vociferously. I have been constantly opposing the NDA government in the present Rajya Sabha, ” the 54-year-old MNF leader said.
He said that Mizoram MP alone has no significant role in the formation of government at the Centre as the fight is confined mainly between two broad blocs- the NDA and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Citing that language barrier did not bar him from raising issues in the parliament, Vanlalvena said what matters most for being an MP is the mind or the courage and not simply having a good command over Hindi and English languages.
The former student leader remained vocal in important issues pertaining to Mizoram and minorities in the country.
His audacity to raise important issues in the parliament has been lauded by many.
Vanlalvena worked as a teacher in a government-run high school in 1995 two years after he graduated with science from Pachhunga University College (PUC) in Aizawl in 1993.
But his teaching profession lasted for only three months as he was elected as the president of state’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP).
Recently, he obtained a master degree in history from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) more than 30 years after he left college.
He was imprisoned on 8 occasions during his tenure as student leader.
Vanlalvena entered politics in 2002 when he was appointed the general secretary of the MNF’s youth wing. He subsequently became its president.
He had unsuccessfully contested the assembly by-poll to Aizawl North-III seat in 2015. He lost to Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) candidate C Lalsawivunga in the Aizawl South-I seat in the 2023 assembly elections.
Over 8.6 lakh electorates, including 4.41 lakh female voters, will exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Mizoram.
ZPM has fielded an entrepreneur Richard Vanlalhmangaiha, 46, who is a newbie in politics, while the People’s Conference (PC) party named well-known Mizo singer and lyricist Rita Malsawmi,48, as its candidate.
The Congress on Thursday nominated retired Mizoram Police Service (MPS) officer and former state home secretary Lalbiakzama for the Lok Sabha seat.
Former Congress leader Lalhriatrenga Chhangte, who recently quit the party, said that he will contest the Lok Sabha polls as an independent.
Chhangte had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha polls held in April 2019.
The BJP is yet to announce the name of its candidate.