The two Mizo National Front (MNF) leaders who jumped ship to the BJP recently feature in the party’s list of 21 candidates for the forthcoming Mizoram Assembly polls. The party released two lists, with 12 and nine names respectively, on Wednesday.
Lalrinliana Sailo, the former speaker of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly, resigned from the Assembly and joined the BJP last week after being denied a ticket by the MNF. The BJP has fielded him from the Mamit constituency; he had won from the Chalfih seat in 2018.
In the previous election, the BJP had contested in 39 seats but only managed to win the Tuichawng constituency. The seat was represented by Buddha Dhan Chakma who is from the minority Chakma community. The MLA announced his retirement earlier this year. The party has now fielded Durjya Dhan Chakma, the former Chief Executive Member of the Chakma Autonomous District, who switched from the MNF to the BJP earlier this month.
The other high-profile entry into the BJP in the last few weeks was of K Beichhua. A former minister in Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s Cabinet, he had been expelled from the MNF this January for “anti party activities”. He will be contesting from the Siaha seat.
Other names on the list include BJP Mizoram president Vanlalhmuaka; he will be contesting from Dampa.
In an interview with The Indian Express earlier this week, Sailo said that the BJP, which is considered a marginal player in the state, would play a “a decisive role in the government formation process”, given the stiff competition between the three primary contenders (the MNF, the Zoram People’s Front and the Congress) in this electoral contest.
Mizoram, which votes on November 7, has a 40-member Assembly.
Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges.
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