Aizawl, Oct 21 (IANS) With the filing of nomination papers by Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) candidate K. Zahmingthanga on Tuesday, the last day of submission, Mizoram is set a witness a five-cornered political contest in the November 11 by-election to the Dampa Assembly constituency.

Election officials said that MPC nominee and the party’s Vice-President K. Zahmingthanga submitted his nomination papers to Returning Officer Malsawmzuala for the Dampa bypoll on Tuesday.

Officials added that four candidates from the ruling and opposition parties had earlier filed their nominations for the by-election.

Scrutiny of nominations will be held on Wednesday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.

Polling for the Dampa seat will take place on November 11, and counting of votes will be held on November 14.

The Dampa Assembly seat in Mizoram’s Mamit district fell vacant following the death of Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo on July 21.

Political observers noted that once a formidable political force under late former Chief Minister Brigadier T. Sailo, who served from June to November 1978 and again from May 1979 to May 1984, the MPC had ushered in a new phase of governance in Mizoram during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

However, the party’s influence gradually declined after Sailo’s tenure as Chief Minister ended.

Since then, the MPC has struggled to regain its foothold amid the dominance of other local and national parties such as the Mizo National Front (MNF), Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Congress, and BJP.

The candidates who had earlier filed their nomination papers are Vanlalsailova of the ruling ZPM, MNF’s R. Lalthangliana, BJP’s Lalhmangaiha, and John Rotluangliana of the Congress.

ZPM’s Vanlalsailova is a prominent Mizo singer and preacher, while MNF’s Lalthangliana is the party’s Vice-President and a former Mizoram Health Minister.

Rotluangliana, the Congress nominee, is the party’s state Vice-President and a former Minister, and BJP candidate Lalhmangaiha is a former Congress leader who recently joined the party.

The Election Commission has appointed three central observers — a General Observer, Police Observer, and Expenditure Observer — to oversee the election process and related activities.

Adequate security arrangements are being made under the supervision of State Police Nodal Officer H. Ramthlengliana, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters and Law and Order).

With five strong candidates in the fray, the upcoming by-election is expected to be one of the most closely watched electoral battles in Mizoram.

Before the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission on October 6, both ruling and opposition parties had declared their candidates and launched their campaigns in this politically crucial constituency.

The Dampa Assembly seat, bordering Bangladesh, has a sizable minority population, including Chakma and Reang tribal communities.

According to the final electoral rolls published on September 30, a total of 20,790 voters, including 10,185 women, are eligible to cast their votes.

–IANS

sc/khz