Mizoram Congress chief Lalsawta is aiming to bring his party back to power in a state it governed for a long time but witnessed a significant rout in 2018. Heading a party that won just five seats back then, the 71-year-old politician has a big task at hand.
Lalsawta is leading the charge as the Congress is set to contest its first election in the post-Lal Thanhawla era in Mizoram. Lal Thanhawla, a former chief minister and state unit chief of the Congress, had won nine elections between 1978 and 2018. He retired in 2021.
Lalsawta not only has a clean corruption-free image in the state but is also an experienced administrator who has served as the Finance Minister of Mizoram from 2008-2018. He was appointed the president of the Pradesh Congress Committee in 2021, succeeding Mr Thanhawla in leading the grand old party in the state.
He won the state elections in 2008 and 2013 from Aizawl East-II, but lost the seat in 2018. Not just him, several top leaders including the then chief minister had lost their seats as the party saw its tally drop from 34 to five in the last elections.
This time, Lalsawta is contesting from Aizawl West-III against incumbent MLA VL Zaithanzama of the Zoram People Movement (ZPM) and K Lalsawmvela of the Mizo National Front (MNF).
Lalsawta has promised to create one lakh jobs if Congress comes to power in Mizoram and give a health insurance cover of Rs 15 lakh to each family that does not have a member who is a regular government employee. He has also asserted that there's an immediate need to remove the BJP from the centre and MNF from the state.
MNF had won the 2018 Mizoram elections and is part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and a constituent of the NDA at the Centre.
The elections to the 40-seat Mizoram legislative assembly will be held on November 7.
