Mizoram: Zoram People's Movement announces candidates for AMC elections

Aizawl: Mizoram main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) on Monday released a list of its candidates for elections to the 19-member Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC).

Though expected to be held next month, the AMC polls dates have not been notified by the state election commission.

ZPM vice president K. Sapdanga announced 19 candidates, including six women for the reserved seats.

18 out of 19 candidates, including well-known TV presenter Baryl Vanneisangi are debutants while Lalthankhuma, a candidate from AMC ward-XI contested the municipal polls in 2015, according to ZPM general secretary Lalmunapuia Punte.

Also Read: BJP announces first phase of candidates for Aizawl Municipal Corporation polls

Sapdanga said the party’s motto is to establish people’s government through a dynamic and new political system.

Claiming that people have full faith in ZPM, the leader said the party would win the upcoming polls.

“We will give priority to the people if we come to power in the AMC polls as ZPM’s motto is to have people’s government,” Sapdanga said, adding that party leader Lalduhoma will release the party manifesto on Tuesday.

This is the first municipal polls and third elections to be contested by the 3-year old party since its formation in August 2017.

In 2018, the ZPM contested assembly polls as independents, since the party was yet be registered. They won seven seats to become the second-largest party after Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) in the state.

However, the party now has only six members in the 40- member assembly after its leader Lalduhoma was disqualified under anti-defection law in November last year.

The ZPM also won 263 out of 2,454 seats in the village council polls across nine districts, and 38 out of 1,565 seats in local council polls in Aizawl held in August last year.

Sources said that the ruling MNF would also release a list of its candidates for the upcoming AMC polls at 8 pm on Monday.

The AMC was established in 2010 under the Mizoram Municipalities Act, 2007.

There are 19 members, including 6 women (reserved seat).

In the last municipal polls held in 2015, the MNF had won 11 seats, followed by Congress, which won 7 seats.

Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) had bagged one.

Also Read: Congress announces candidates for Aizawl municipal elections