Aizawl: At least six candidates, including one independent, are in the fray for the upcoming bypoll to Serchhip assembly to be held on April 17, an official said on Thursday.
There is no female candidate.
The official said that five candidates from five political parties and an independent candidate have filed nominations and all of them cleared scrutiny held on Wednesday.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature is fixed on April 3, he said.
If no nominee withdraw their candidature, six candidates will be up for the contest, he added.
Political analysts said that the bypoll to Serchhip seat is expected to witness a triangular fight between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and Congress.
It would be a litmus test for ZPM nominee Lalduhoma (71), the incumbent MLA whose disqualification under the anti-defection law in November last year has necessitated the bypoll, as he will lock horns with MNF’s vice president Vanlalzawma (65) and Congress general secretary P.C. Laltlansanga (48), they said.
Vanlalzawma had won the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram for two consecutive terms from 1999 to 2009 first as an independent candidate and later as a member of the MNF.
He was the opposition leader in the 6th state legislative assembly during 2013 to 2018 where the MNF has only five members against Congress’s 34.
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The BJP, which has one member in the present 40-member assembly, is also hoping to increase its tally to two by fielding a retired mining engineer and former party spokesperson Lalhriatrenga Chhangte (56), who belongs to Serchhip town.
The People’s Conference (PC) party, which is a merger of both Mizoram’s People Conference (MPC) and People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM), has fielded its vice president Vanlalruata (45), while Ramlhun-Edena (50) is contesting on independent ticket.
Polling will be held in 29 polling stations where a total of 19,433 electorates, including 10,278 female voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of six candidates.
Counting will be undertaken on May 2.
Of the six candidates, Vanlalzawma of the MNF, with declared assets worth over Rs 4.61 crore is the richest candidate, followed by ZPM’s nominee Lalduhoma, who has declared assets (both movable and immovable) worth over Rs. 2.37 crore.
Vanlalzawma has movable assets worth over Rs 1.45 crore lakh and immovable assets worth over Rs 3.16 crore, according to his affidavit.