Mizo National Front (MNF) – the ruling party of Mizoram – announced its candidates for the 2019 elections as well as Assembly by-election on Wednesday. The announcement was made by party president and chief minister Zoramthanga at the MNF general headquarters.
The MNF Lok Sabha poll candidate will be C Lalrosanga who is a retired Indian Broadcasting Programme Service (IBPS) officer and formerly held the post of Director General of Doordarshan, New Delhi. He also served as the Deputy Director General and Additional Director General of All India Radio and Doordarshan (northeastern region).
C Lalrosanga said he hopes his experience with the Parliament House and parliamentary committees in his capacity as the former Director General of Doordarshan will help him to uphold his duty as Lok Sabha MP, if elected to power. The candidate said he will fight against “religious intolerance” and put opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) at the forefront.
The Aizawl West I Assembly poll candidate will be Zothantluanga who was formerly a Congress candidate in the year 2003. While the Assembly poll candidate said it will be a “tough road” ahead for him as Aizawl West I constituency is a vacant seat of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), he hopes to win through the “support of the people”.
When asked if he believed the ZPM-Congress alliance will pose to be a challenge, Zothantluanga said ZPM is not a challenge for him as the party only has the loyalty of neutral voters and does not have any entity of its own. On the upcoming election, the chief minister threw the gauntlet to the Opposition parties saying the election will be a “war between those who vouch for alcohol and those who are against alcohol”. Zoramthanga who has often faced criticism for being a part of the BJP-led NDA affirmed his party’s stand by stating that MNF will “continue to be a part of NDA”.