AIZAWL: Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, who is also the president of ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), on Tuesday (October 10), expressed confidence that his party would retain power in the state.

Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly will be held in a single phase on November 7 and counting of votes will be held on December 3.

Taking to his official Instagram handle, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga said they are preparing to govern and serve the people of the state for another term.

“We are confident that we will retain power with the help of the Almighty. We will continue to stand for our God and our state. We are preparing to continue the task of serving the people of our state,” the Mizoram CM said.

The MNF president claimed that his party belonged to the Mizos and the party had been baptized with the martyrs’ blood.

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“We are the torchbearers of Mizo nationalism, which is crucial for the safeguard of Mizo nation and Mizoram. We have stood firm for more than 62 years now for our God and our nation,” he said, adding that the Almighty has continued to lead the party amid several adversities.

 Mizoram CM Zoramthanga also claimed that he inducted 70 new voters from Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Congress and neutral members in his constituency Aizawl East-I on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the battle lines are drawn for the 40-member Mizoram assembly among three political parties- ruling MNF, ZPM and Congress.

The three political parties have decided to contest all the 40 seats. While MNF has already announced the names of 40 candidates, including 25 sitting MLAs, the ZPM has released a list of 39 candidates and is yet to field Chakma dominated Tuichawng seat.

Congress and BJP will also contest all the seats and they are yet to announce candidate names.

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The emergence of ZPM, which formed in 2017, seems to change a 3-decade old political landscape of Mizoram, which has traditionally seen electoral battle between MNF and Congress after Mizoram attained statehood in 1987.

The ZPM under the leadership of its chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, is advocating for change and a new political system, and is now the main contender to the ruling MNF as Congress, which is still struggling with anti-incumbency wave and internal squabble, is yet to make a comeback.

The ruling MNF is believe to be bank on Mizo nationalism, unification of Mizos or Zo ethnic tribes, issue of Zo ethnic refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and internally displaced Zo ethnic people or Kukis from Manipur, border dispute and infrastructure development amid Covid-19 pandemic as its poll planks.

The ZPM will mainly rely on its new political system, farmers development and youth priority, while Congress will focus on reformation, financial assistance for those who are determined to develop, introduction of old pension schemes, among others.

In the last Mizoram assembly polls held in November 2018, the MNF had secured 26 seats, ZPM bagged 8 with Lalduhoma winning two seats, Congress- 5 and BJP secured one seat.

Later, the MNF won two assembly by-polls and snatched the seats from ZPM.