Battle royal on cards in prestigious Aizawl constituencies
AIZAWL: For the octogenarian leader Brig T Sailo, president of the Mizoram People’s Conference and chief ministerial candidate of the United Democratic Alliance, it would be a do-or-die battle for the prestigious Aizawl West 11 constituency in the December two Assembly elections.
Sailo, known for his clean image, was a brigadier in the Indian Army during the Indo-China war and has a memorable career in politics that dates back to 1978. However his stint as the first-time chief minister had come to an abrupt end within one year due to a constitutional crisis.
But, the former armyman returned to be the chief minister with his Peoples Conference in 1979 which was formed out of a human rights committee to mitigate the sufferings of the people allegedly by the Indian army.
With both the ruling Mizo National Front and the Congress fighting it out, Sailo’s MPC-UDA has quietly emerged as a third front and could play an important part in government formation.
The 85-year-old and two-time chief minister is pitted against the young Lalruatkima of the ruling MNF who was the former general secretary of the influential Young Mizo Association.
Also in the contest is the Congress’ only woman candidate Zothankimi who incidentally translated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s election speech at the Assam Rifles ground on Wednesday into Mizo language.
Another interesting battle on the cards will be for the Aizawl West 1 constituency which will feature a three-corner fight among the Congress, MNF and the UDA’s deputy chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma.
Lalduhoma, chief of the Zoram Nationalist Party, has a chequered political career that harks back to the days when he was an IPS officer posted in the security cell of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi which he resigned to enter politics during early 1980s.
He was the first MP to be disqualified under the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law after he was suspended from the Congress party in 1986 following leak of his letter to a friend which revealed the reported obstacles put up by senior Congress leaders to the Mizo accord.
Lalduhawma also had a brief stint with the MNF before he formed his own MNF (Nationalist) which was later rechristened as the ZNP.
He is pitted against the MNF candidate and health minister R Tlanghmingthanga and Congress’s Andrew Lalherliana, a former student leader and son of the first Mizo Indian diplomat K C Lalvunga.
Lalduhawma is also contesting from the sensitive Manipur border Tuivawl constituency where he will fight it out with Gogo Lalremtluana of the ruling MNF and R L Pianmawia – both first timers.
Source: www.hindu.com