Mizoram Assembly Election 2018: All you need to know

The polling in Mizoram will be held on November 28 in one phase. The tenure of Mizoram assembly ends on December 15, 2018.

The election commission on Saturday announced the dates for polling in the five states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana for the assembly elections. The Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat informed that the polling in Mizoram will be held on November 28 in one phase. The tenure of Mizoram assembly ends on December 15, 2018.

The last date of filing the nominations is November 9 while the final date of scrutiny of the candidate is November 12. The candidates can withdraw their nominations by November 14. The counting of results will take place on December 11.

Currently, Indian National Congress is ruling the state with Lal Thanhawla as a Chief Minister. Here is everything you need to know about the north-eastern state:

Demographics:

Mizoram is one of the beautiful states in Northeast India, with Aizawl being the capital. The hill state was once a part of Assam until the year 1972 when it was removed as a Union Territory. It transformed into the 23rd state of the country, a phase above Union Territory on 20 February 1987. According to the 2011 Census, the total population of Mizoram is 10.91 Lakhs. Out of which, 5.5 lakhs are male and 5.3 Lakhs are female. The population of Mizoram forms 0.09 per cent of India in 2011.

Christianity is the most popular religion in Mizoram with 87.16 % of state population following it. Hinduism is followed by 2.75 % population, Islam is followed by 1.35 %, Jainism by 0.03 %, Buddhism by 8.51 % and Sikhism by 0.03 %. Around 0.07 % stated ‘Other Religion’, approximately 0.09 % stated ‘No Particular Religion’.

Out of the total population of Mizoram, 52.11% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 5.71 Lakhs. The total population of rural areas of Mizoram state is 525,435 i.e. 47.89%.

Voter Population:

According to the election commission of India report, the total voter population in Mizoram as per final rolls is 7.68 Lakhs. After the summary revision of the electoral rolls, the final voters’ list was published on Thursday by Chief Electoral Officer S.B. Shashank. Mizoram is the only state where women electors outnumber men. Of the total 7.68 Lakhs voters, as many as 3.93 Lakhs are women and 3.74 Lakhs are men.

Constituencies:

Mizoram Assembly has total 40 constituencies. Out of which all constituencies except one are reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates. The constituencies in the state are Chawngte, Tlabung, Tuipang, Saiha, Sangau, Lawngtlai, Bar-put, Lunglei South,Lunglei North, Khawbung, Champhai, Khawha, Saituai, Tawipui,Vanva, Hnahthia, North Vanlaiphai, Khawzawl, Ngopa, Suangpuilawn, Ratu, Kawnpui, Kolasib, Bilk-hawthlir, Mamit, Phuldungsei, Sateek, Lokichera, Kawrthah, Serchhip,Serchhip, Lungpho, Tlung-vel, Aizawl North-I, Aizawl North II, Aizawl West I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl West I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl South – I, Aizawl South – II, Aizawl East-I, Aizawl East-II. There is one Lok Sabha Constituency in the state of Mizoram that is reserved for the Scheduled Tribes along with one Rajya Sabha seat.

Major Political Parties:

The only national party in Mizoram politics is Indian National Congress. The Congress has been in power in Mizoram since 2008 but is facing a strong challenge from the Mizo National Front (MNF), which is banking on the 10-years anti-incumbency to win the elections.

There are two major political parties in the state that dominate the political scenario of the state. They are the Mizo National Front and the Ephraim Union.

Mizo National Front, which is known as MNF in short, is a regional political party. MNF has come out of the Mizo Famine Front formed by Pu Laldenga. It was formed to protest against the inactivity of the Indian Government towards the famine-affected Mizo areas of Assam in the year 1959. In the same year, the Mizo Hills was also destroyed by a devastating famine. The Mizo National Famine Front, originally formed to help the people suffering during the Mautam Famine, was afterwards converted into Mizo National Front on 22nd October in the year 1961. Pu Zoramthanga became the leader of MNF after the death of Laldenga. In the elections of 1998 and 2003, MNF won the state assembly elections, with Pu Zoramthanga as the Chief Minister.

The other main political party in the state of Mizoram is Ephraim Union. It is also a regional political party. It is known as EU and it belongs to the part of Mizoram that considers the Mizos to be the descendants of the tribes of Israel.

Mizoram Assembly Elections 2013 results:

The last assembly election saw Congress and the current CM returning to the power in Mizoram. The Indian National Congress won a large majority of 34 out of 40 seats. Mizo National Front and Mizoram People’s Conference won five seats and one seat respectively. 81% of eligible voters turned out to vote. The vote shares of Congress, MNF and MPC was 44.6%, 28.7% and 6.2% respectively.

Prominent Leaders:

Lal Thanhawla:

He has been the Chief Minister of Mizoram since 11 December 2008. Previously he was Chief Minister from 1984 to 1986 and from 1989 to 1998. He was elected to another term in the 2013 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election. This was the fifth time he was elected to the office of Chief Minister, which is a record in the state. He belongs to the Indian National Congress. His electoral constituencies are Serchhip and Hrangturzo. He successfully contested the general elections nine times, in 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2008, and 2013.

Zoramthanga:

He was the fifth Chief Minister of Mizoram, from December 1998 to December 2008, for two consecutive terms. He was second in command to Laldenga during the secession movement of Mizo National Front (MNF) and became the successor as party leader after MNF was a recognised political party. He joined the Mizoram Legislative Assembly as Minister of Finance and Education in 1987. His party, the Mizo National Front, lost the 2008 Assembly elections to the Indian National Congress.