Mizoram’s two Opposition parties, the Congress and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), have forged an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls and Assembly byelection, sources said on Tuesday.
Elections to Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha seat and by-election to Aizawl West-I seat are due on April 11.
The source said the decision was made at a meeting of the leaders of both the parties at Congress Bhawan here on Tuesday.
“In the interest of sustaining secularism, both the Congress and the ZPM have decided to tie-up and field popular or common candidates for the polls,” a senior ZPM leader told The Telegraph.
He said the ZPM-Congress alliance was formed to oust the BJP and its ally, the Mizo National Front (MNF), which is the ruling party in the state, in the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly bypoll.
According to the understanding reached between the two parties, the Congress will field candidate in the lone Lok Sabha seat and the ZPM for the Aizawl West-I bypoll, the ZPM leader said, adding that both the parties would support each other in both the polls.
He said the two parties will soon finalise their respective candidates.
Both the parties are looking for alliance with other non-BJP, non-MNF parties like the People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (Prism).
At present both the ZPM and the Congress have seven (earlier eight before ZPM leader Lalduhoma vacated his seat) and five members respectively in the 40-member Assembly.
Party sources said the sitting Congress MP from Mizoram, C.L. Ruala, 84, will not contest because of old age.
The sources said Lalnghinglova Hmar, joint editor of the largest circulated local daily, Vanglaini, and honorary secretary of Mizoram Football Association (MFA) and former AIR director C. Lalrosanga figure among the possible ZPM-Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.