Political party presidents are lining up at Serchhip AC in Mizoram, the home turf of the two-time legislator from this constituency and the present chief minister of Mizoram Lal Thanhawla.
Lal Thanhawla has been elected from Serchhip assembly constituency in 2008 and 2013 consecutively without much hurdle, but the November 28 Mizoram polls will see two political parties presidents and the third front – Zoram People’s Movement chief ministerial candidate Lal Duhoma.
“Our constituency was a piece of cake for the incumbent MLA Lal Thanhawla in the past two assembly elections, but this time around, the other candidates will make him run for his money,” Kapliana Pachuau, a senior journalist from Serchhip town said.
Sources from Congress Bhavan expressed their confidence on their party president. But the opposition parties are claiming anti-incumbency factor in favour of them. They are confident that Lal Thanhawla could face his impending downfall.
Lal Thanhawla, however is also being nominated by the Mizoram PCC as the official candidate of Champhai South as his second seat.
Lal Duhoma, a former IPS officer and the former head of the late Indira Gandhi’s security detail and the president of Zoram Nationalists Party has already announced he would contest from Serchhip AC. His party has formed a political conglomerate of five political parties – the Zoram Peoples Movement, and named him as the chief ministerial candidate.
A lesser known political party called Zoramthar has already announced that their party president Rev Dr Zaichhawna Hlawndo would be up against chief minister Lal Thanhawla. This Christian faith based political party was formed in February 13, 2016 and the party men are the followers of their president Rev Dr Zaichhawna’s vision, a vision that God would give the party a strength to form the next Mizoram government.
Also on the fray is Vanlalruata, president of Prism party. He has also announced that he would take on the chief minister and other political leaders of Mizoram. An RTI activist turned politician Vanlalruata said that the people of Serchhip AC have enough of Lal Thanhawla and his corrupt ways.
The Congress has been ruling the state for more than nine years in Mizoram. The present state assembly has 34 Congress legislators though two MLAs have resigned and quit the party recently. Mizoram will go to polls on November 28.