Mizoram Election Results 2018: MNF supporters celebrate the party’s win in Mizoram on Tuesday. (Lafava photography)
Mizoram Assembly Election Results 2018 HIGHLIGHTS: Returning to power after a decade, regional party Mizo National Front (MNF) on Monday secured an absolute majority by winning 26 seats, thereby ousting the Congress from its last fort in the northeast region. According to the Election Commission, Congress has won five seats while BJP has won only one seat. According to a statement released later, MNF unanimously elected their chief Zoramthanga as leader of the MNF legislature party and will meet Governor K Rajasekharan at 6 pm to stake claim to form the government.
Two-time Chief Minister and Congress leader Lal Thanhwala lost both Champai South and Serchhip seats. While he lost to MNF’s TJ Lalnuntulanga in Champhai South, his loss in Serchhip to Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM)’s CM candidate Lalduhoma will probably hurt him more. This was the seat from where he won for a record seven times since 1984 barring 1998.
Mizoram Election Results 2018: The issue of Bru voters had dominated Mizoram elections. (File)
Highlights
As per the latest information on Election Commission website, MNF got 26 seats, while Congress got 5 and Independents got 8 out of 40 seats. BJP was able to get only one seat.
Tawnluia was elected deputy leader of the MNF legislature party and Lalruatkima its secretary. The MNF bagged 26 seats in the 40-member state assembly. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla submitted his resignation to the governor. He lost from both Serchip and Champai South seats from where he contested.
MNF chief Zoramthanga has been unanimously elected leader of MNF legislature party in the state, the party said in a statement. He will meet Mizoram Governor K Rajasekharan at 6 pm to stake claim to form the government.
Counting has ended in Mizoram and latest figures show that the MNF performed a clean sweep by securing 26 seats and thereby, marking the end of Congress in the north east. The Congress has managed to secure only five seats while the BJP has won only one seat.
Ruling out the possibility of a coalition government, MNF chief Zoramthanga told news agency ANI, "We will not have any coalition government either with the BJP or any other ways because my party can form the government on its own as we have got 26 out of 40 seats. We are a part of NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance) and NDA but we wouldn't like to join the Congress or UPA."
The IndianExpress.com has a LIVE data map of the results coming in from Mizoram as well as constituency-wise data. Click here to view visual data.
Mizo National Front got a majority in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly as results for the 40-member Assembly elections were announced by the Election Commission on Tuesday.
The MNF workers are already celebrating the party's expected victory in the elections
Mizo National Front (MNF) now ahead on 24 seats. Earlier it was leading on 29 seats. The Congress is leading on 6 seats and others are leading on nine seats.
BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade told ANI, "I knew we would lose in Rajasthan & Chhattisgarh but MP trends have come as a surprise. I think we forgot the issue of development that Modi took up in 2014. Ram Mandir, statues & name changing became the focus."
As election results become clear, workers break dance in Mizo National Front office in Aizwal
In a huge setback to current CM Lal Thanhwala, the Congress leader was ousted from Sercchip constituency. This is the seat from where he won seven times since 1984 barring 1998.Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM)’s CM candidate Lalduhoma emerged as winner in Sercchip. Earlier this morning, Thanhwala lost Champhai South seat to MNF’s s TJ Lalnuntulanga
Celebrations begin at Congress party headquarters in Raipur. If the Congress manages to win today, this will be the party's comeback to Chhattisgarh after 15 years
Chief Minister Lal Thanhwala lost the Champhai South seat to Mizo National Front’s TJ Lalnuntulanga.He is also trailing behind in Serchhip — signifying the strong anti-incumbency that the veteran Congress leader faced. If he loses Serchhip, it will be historic because he has won from this seat seven times now since 1984, losing only in 1998, when his government had faced a strong wave of anti-incumbency.
BJP's BD Chakma has won Tuichawng
Our correspondent Abhishek Saha explains the importance of BD Chakma's win
BD Chakma, the BJP candidate in Chakma-dominated Tuichawng constituency, is significant because the BJP has been depending on the ethnic minority community to open its electoral account in the state. A Congress legislator till October, Chakma left the party to join the BJP and contest elections.
Apart from Mizos, other ethnic communities of Mizoram include the Chakmas, the Lais and the Maras, together comprising over 10% of Mizoram's population. The Chakmas follow Buddhism and has a population of almost 1 Lakh while the Lais and the Maras are Christians by faith and are considered to be a part of the Mizo society. Large sections of Mizos do not consider Chakmas a part of Mizoram, blame the community for illegal migration from Bangladesh and there have been a spate of protests by Mizo groups demanding that the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) be dissolved.
MNF workers rejoice as trends give them an edge in Mizoram
The lone woman minister of Congress cabinet, Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu, is also trailing behind former Assembly Speaker Lalchamliana in Hrangturzo seat. Former Chief Minister and MNF president Zoramthanga is leading in Aizawl East-I seat against ZPM's K Sapdanga.
In Serchhip, Lalduhoma, who is leading over CM Lal Thanhawla is a former IPS officer and MP. He is also the CM candidate of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).
ZPM is an alliance formed in October last year of seven non-Congress, non-MNF parties. The party is contesting this election eyeing the “neutral votes” — analysts say the party could be a kingmaker in case of hung results.