Mizo National Front candidate K. Laldawngliana on Tuesday won the Mizoram bye-election 2021 to Tuirial Assembly seat defeating his nearest opponent Laltlanmawia of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) by a margin of 1,284 votes.
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) on Tuesday swept the bye-election to Tuirial Assembly seat by securing 39.96% of the total 14,561 votes polled.
Four candidates contested the bye-election to Tuirial seat, held on October 30.
Election officials said the counting of votes began at 8 am at Government Kolasib College under strict COVID19 proctors.
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Laldawngliana secured 5,820 while Laltlanmawia slipped to 4,536 votes (31.15%).
Congress candidates Chalrosanga Ralte finished at third by securing 3,927 (26.96%) and BJP nominee K. Laldinthara managed to secure 246 votes, which is 1.68% of the total votes polled.
There are 17,911 electorates in Tuirial constituency and 81.29% of them cast their votes in the bye-election held on October 30, election officials said.
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None of the 663 Bru voters, who are living in Tripura transit camps, cast their votes, they said.
Poll pundits said the Tuirial bye-election was one of the hottest contests in Assembly bye-election in the political history of the state.
This is the third bye-election in the present term.
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In April 2019, the ruling MNF won bye-election to Aizawl West-I seat but lost the bye-election to Serchhip seat in April this year to ZPM candidate Lalduhoma, who retained the seat after his disqualification under the anti-defection law in November 2020.
The bye-election to Tuirial Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of its incumbent MLA Andrew H. Thangliana in August.
In the present 40-member Assembly, the ruling MNF now has 28 members, Congress – 5, ZPM and BJP has 1 member each and there are 5 independent MLAs, who gave their allegiance to the ZPM.
Though originally belonged to ZPM, the 5 MLAs had contested and won the last assembly polls on independent tickets as the ZPM had not obtained registration at that time.