Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress ties up with Mizoram's ZPM

Ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Mizoram, Congress and Mizoram's Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) have formed an alliance, party sources said. According to the agreement between the two parties, which will formally be announced later, Congress will field a candidate from the only Lok Sabha seat in the state and the ZPM will contest the Aizawl West-I Assembly seat.

The Congress and the ZPM have five and eight legislators in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly. Congress needs a new candidate for the Lok Sabha seat since its sitting lawmaker, 84-year-old CL Ruala, has refused to contest.

The by-election to the Aizawl West-I Assembly seat had to be held after the ZPM's chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma vacated his seat.

Lalduhoma had defeated the then chief minister Lal Thanhawla in Serchhip constituency, and former minister K Sangthuama of the Mizo National Front (MNF) in the Assembly polls held on November 28 last year.

Meanwhile, the ruling MNF, the BJP and the People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party had announced that they would go it alone in the polls.