Aizawl: A 62-year-old retired school teacher Lalzuithanga will head the Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) after Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) swept the first municipal polls of south Mizoram’s Lunglei town on Monday, ZPM sources said.
The ZPM councillor from ward-III has been unanimously selected to head the first municipal council as chairman, while K Lalrinawma (37) from ward -VII has been chosen for the vice chairman post, the sources said. Meanwhile, Lunglei deputy commissioner Ramdinliani said that the date for swearing-in of the first LMC is yet to be announced.
A proposal has been sent to the concerned department for the swearing-in ceremony, Ramdiniliani, who is also the district municipal election officer, said.The emerging ZPM party headed by Lalliansawta won an absolute majority in the municipal polls held on March 29 inflicting a crushing defeat on the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) headed by chief minister Zoramthanga.The party won all the 11 seats at the dismay of other contesting parties.
Lalzuithanga, who retired as a school teacher in 2021, defeated his nearest opponent F. Lalsawmkima of MNF by a margin of 456 votes.
ZPM secured 49.31 per cent of the total votes polled, while the MNF , which also contested 11 seats, managed to get 29.4 per cent of the votes. The Congress, which also fielded candidates in all the seats, secured 20 per cent votes, and the BJP which contested nine seats, managed to get only 0.75 per cent of the total votes polled.
A total of 74.26 per voters turnout was recorded in the first LMC polls, which saw 42 contenders, including 16 women, from four political parties.
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The LMC covers 4 assembly constituencies, which were won and currently ruled by the MNF.Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly are due later this year.
In the last assembly polls held in November 2018, the ZPM had bagged 8 seats with its chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma winning two- Serchhip and Aizawl West-I seats. Later, the party lost Aizawl West-I and Tuirial seats in the assembly bypolls reducing the party’s tally to 6 in state assembly. The MNF has 28 members, while the Congress and BJP have 5 and 1 respectively in the present assembly.
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