Aizawal: The Congress, which has governed Mizoram for more than 22 years in different terms since 1984 under the Chief Ministership of party stalwart Lal Thanhawla, performed disastrously in the state assembly elections, the result of which was announced on Monday, December 4.
The Congress fielded candidates in all 40 seats, but its nominee, C. Ngunlianchunga, is the only winner in the Lawngtlai West seat by a margin of 432 votes.
Ngunlianchunga, who secured 11,296 votes, defeated the ruling Mizo National Front candidate, V. Zirsanga, who bagged 10,864 votes.
Besides all other party leaders and former ministers, state Congress President Lalsawta lost his Aizawl West-III seat to opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) candidate V.L. Zaithanzama by a margin of 4,582 votes.
The Congress this time got 20.82 percent of the votes, against 29.98 percent (five seats) in 2018 and 44.63 percent (34 seats) in 2013.
The Party leader Rahul Gandhi visited Mizoram on October 16 and 17 and campaigned for the party.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor, and the party’s northeast in-charge, Bhakta Charan Das, among other leaders, also took part in the campaign.
Moreover, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra cancelled her scheduled campaign trips to the northeastern state while Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi gave a special video message to the people of Mizoram.
The Congress, before the elections, has formed the ‘Mizoram Secular Alliance’ (MSA) with two local parties, the People’s Conference (PC) and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), to unitedly fight against the BJP. The People’s Conference and ZNP did not put up any candidates.
State Congress President Lalsawta, who took moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance, announced his resignation on Tuesday.
He told the media that the Congress, though defeated in the elections, would come back to power in the 2028 assembly elections.
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