AIZAWL, Dec 9: The Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) elections in Mizoram delivered a hung house on Tuesday, with the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) emerging as the single-largest party by securing eight of the 25 elected seats. Congress followed with seven seats, while the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) managed six, leaving the political landscape wide open for post-poll alliances.
With 13 seats required to form a majority, no party has come close to the halfway mark. The BJP clinched two seats, and two Independent candidates also emerged victorious, adding to the fluidity of coalition possibilities.
Political observers are now watching closely to see whether Congress and ZPM—both trailing the MNF—will join hands to form the executive body. The MNF and Congress had earlier signed an agreement to support each other during the elections and in executive formation, but the pact fell apart on the ground as they fielded rival candidates in several constituencies.
The election also saw high-profile upsets. BJP’s Chief Executive Member (CEM) N Zangura lost to MNF’s Premo Kanti by a razor-thin margin of eight votes, while MNF Chairman VL Hmuaka was defeated by Congress candidate C Ngunlianchunga by 348 votes. Ngunlianchunga is a sitting Congress MLA from the Lawngtlai West constituency.
In contrast to past elections, only the ruling ZPM contested all 25 seats. The MNF fielded candidates in 20, Congress in 14, and the BJP in 10.
In the 2020 LADC polls, the MNF had swept 20 seats, establishing a clear majority, while Congress and BJP won one each and Independents captured three. This year’s results mark a dramatic shift and are expected to spark intense negotiations before the council’s current term expires on December 18.
The Lai Autonomous District Council, formed in 1972 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to govern the Lai tribal population, recorded a voter turnout of nearly 84% in the December 3 elections—reflecting strong public engagement in the democratic process.
