Congress will act alone in Mizoram after unsuccessful pre-poll alliance discussions with the MNF

After discussions on a pre-election partnership with the Mizo National Front (MNF) failed to materialize, the Congress has chosen to run alone in the Lok Sabha elections in Mizoram, according to a senior member of the historic party.

He said that the name of its candidate for the parliamentary elections in the northeastern state set for April 19 would be announced on Thursday.

Mizoram has one seat in the Lok Sabha.

Talks had been held to form a pre-election alliance between the Congress, which had ruled Mizoram for over 20 years since 1987, and the MNF in order to combat the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).

“On the alliance, no agreement could be reached with the MNF. We have finally made the decision to go it alone,” the Congressman said to PTI.

Lal Thanzara, the president of the State Congress, indicated that the candidate’s identity would be revealed during a gathering on Thursday.

Under the leadership of former chief minister Zoramthanga, the MNF is an ally of the NDA at the Center and a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

For its first-ever independent Lok Sabha election campaign since the party’s founding in 2017, the governing ZPM has put up 46-year-old businessman Richard Vanlalhmangaiha, a political novice.

The MP representing Mizoram at the moment is C Lalrosanga of the MNF.

The identities of the candidates for the BJP and MNF have not yet been disclosed.