Four candidates so far for Mizoram bypoll

All political parties in Mizoram have announced their candidates for the by-election to the Chalfilh assembly constituency in Aizawl district slated for February 23, with the exception of the ruling Congress party which is still awaiting Delhi's approval. With the announcement of candidate by the biggest opposition party Mizo National Front today, there are four candidates so far for the by-election, necessitated by the death of parliamentary secretary Chawngtinthanga on September 16 last year. The MNF has fielded Lalvenhima Hmar, who had lost the seat in the 2008 state assembly elections to Congress candidate Chawngtinthanga, to make a second attempt to win the seat.

Hmar had contested the seat on Mizoram People's Conference ticket in the last assembly polls and won 33.19 per cent of the votes polled, to be Chawngtinthanga's nearest rival. Hmar's candidature for the bypoll came after his party People Conference, a splinter group of MPC, merged with the MNF recently. Meanwhile, the state chief electoral office today issued a notification for the by-election.

As the notification the last date for filing nomination is February 6, while scrutiny of nominations and last date of withdrawal of candidature are fixed on February 7 and February 9 respectively. Votes would be counted on February 28, while the entire by-election process would be completed by March 3.