MNF bags Mizo LS seat
Mizo National Front retained its LS seat by defeating its rival Mizoram Secular Force by a margin of 23,071 votes.
The ruling Mizo National Front candidate, Vanlalzawma, retained his seat in the Lok Sabha by defeating his nearest rival, Laltluangliana Khiangte of the Mizoram Secular Force by a margin of 23,071 votes, the state joint chief electoral officer C Lalchhuana said in Aizwal on Thursday.
Vanlalzawma secured 1,82,241 votes and Khiangte got 1,59,170 votes while Ephraim Union candidate, Tlangdingliana, a former state wrestling champion, could manage only 6,414 votes, Lalchhuana said.
K Lalrinliana of MNF trounced his lone rival C Lalbiakthanga of the MSF by a margin of 1294 votes.
Lalrinliana polled 6,113 votes, while Lalbiakthanga, sponsored by the MSF, an alliance of the congress, the Mizoram People's Conference and the Zoram Nationalist Party secured 4,819 votes.
Despite 561 votes from two polling booths stuck in the faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs), the returning officer C Tawnluaia, after consulting the Election Commission announced that Vanlalzawma won the election to the lone state Lok Sabha seat.
''The Election Commission felt that the winning margin was huge and would never be altered by a mere 561 votes'', the joint CEO said, adding, the votes of the two polling stations in the state southernmost Lawngtlai assembly segment stuck in the faulty EVMs need not to be counted.
Political observers in Aizwal, even while acknowledging the pro-incumbency factor and popularity of Vanlalzawma, were stunned by the defeat of the three major opposition party combine.