Mizoram Poll Results: Hear the Tiger Roar

NEW DELHI: The conclusion of vote counting in Mizoram saw a triumphant Mizo National Front (MNF) and a battered Congress. The MNF won 26 seats as compared to the five they won in 2013. Their vote share also increased to 37.6% from 28.65% in the last elections. The Congress, on the other side, has suffered a terrible decline winning only five seats as compared to 34 in 2013, with a reduced vote share of 30.2% as opposed to 44.63% they had won earlier. The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) – an unregistered party comprising of the Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC), the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) and the Zoram Exodus Movement (ZEM) – were the runners up with eight seats and 22.9% of the polled votes.

Results as per ECI at 5 pm

Newsclick spoke to Adam Saprinsanga, a journalist with the Frontier Despatch, a Mizo language investigative weekly. According to Saprinsanga, the big surprises were that Lal Thanhawla lost both seats as well as the Congress, which lost so many seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won their first seat since they entered the state in 1998. In 1998, the saffron party had registered a vote share of 2.5%, however, in 2013, they received less than 1%  of the polled votes. This time they secured 8% of the votes.

The two constituencies where the BJP was projected as being successful were Tuichawng and Palak. Buddha Dhan Chakma in 2013 contested on a Congress ticket from Tuichawng and won with a margin of 8,726 votes, this time he has contested for the BJP and won with a margin of 1,594 votes with the MNF candidate as runner up. In Palak constituency, Congress candidate K T Rokhaw bested the MNF candidate with a margin of 844 votes. Whereas the incumbent Hiphei trailed behind the MNF candidate. Hiphei had resigned as Speaker of the Assembly and joined the BJP ahead of the polls. Like Chakma, Hiphei was projected to be a winning candidate, however, the results have shown otherwise.

Also Read | How Has Mizoram Voted Since Statehood?

Incumbent Congress Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla contested two seats in Serchhip and Champhai South. He lost his bastion Serchhip by a margin of 410 votes to Lalduhoma of the Zoram People’s Movement, and Champhai South to T J Lalnuntluanga of the MNF by a margin of 1,049 votes. In Mizoram contesting more than one seat is a sign of a politician’s confidence, unlike in other states where it shows the opposite. Lalduhoma also contested the Aizawl West I constituency, where he had previously contested as a candidate for the Zoram Nationalist Party. Lalduhoma bested the MNF candidate by 1,060 votes. The question now is which seat he will vacate, if he vacates Serchhip, Lal Thanhawla could make a comeback. Zoramthanga, the Mizo National Front’s face for Chief Minister, contested the Aizawl East – 1 constituency and won with a margin of 2,504 votes.

One would have imagined that since the Congress had concluded a peace deal with the Hmar People’s Convention (Democracy) (HPC(D)) earlier this year, they would have benefited from the Hmar vote in Serlui and Tuivawl constituencies. However, the MNF candidates, Lalrinsanga Ralte and Lalchhandama Ralte won Serlui and Tuivawl, respectively. The contest in Tuivawl proved to be quite the nail biter as the incumbent Congress candidate, R L Pianmawia, was beaten by a margin of only three votes.

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As per the information available, the Bru people form a significant population in two constituencies, Hachhek and Mamit. Due to Lal Thanhawla’s intervention during the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) fiasco, one may have suspected that these two constituencies would go to non-Congress parties. This was more pronounced when BJP leaders in Tripura had visited the Bru transit camps and distributed aid after the resumption of rations. The Congress had also accused the MNF of using ‘undergrounds’ to intimidate Bru voters in their favour. However, the Congress won in Hachhek and the MNF in Mamit.

The former Home Minister in Lal Thanhawla’s government, R Lalzirliana, contested on an MNF ticket and won from Tawi constituency. To the MNF, Lalzirliana is a crucial candidate due to his reputation of being the Congress’ primary strategist and deal maker in Mizoram. Whether he can bring other winning candidates to the MNF is yet to be seen, however, due to the BJP gaining just one seat, Lalzirliana could bring the candidate into the MNF fold without Chakma falling foul of the anti-defection laws.

Also Read | Mizoram Exit Polls: BJP a Non-Entity and a Hung Assembly Likely

The biggest surprise was the performance of the ZPM, all their candidates ran as independents as they had not registered themselves as a political party. Despite not having party units on the ground they won eight out of 35 seats with only local steering committees. However, considering that the party won most of its seats from around Aizawl, one may presume that the party’s presence was most felt in urban areas.

In 1998, the MPC had supported the MNF government with Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo serving as a minister in Zoramthanga’s government. At the time the MPC won 12 seats as opposed to the MNF’s 21 and had received 20.44% of the votes polled whereas the MNF had 24.99%. However, this time the MPC is a constituent part of the ZPM and the ZPM has done as well as the sum of its parts. Therefore, whether they side with the MNF cannot be ascertained.