Aizawl: The upcoming election for the 25-member Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) has attracted significant attention, with 82 candidates filing their nominations by the 3pm deadline on Friday. Among the notable contenders is C Ngunlianchunga, the sole Congress legislator and vice president of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), who is contesting from the Lawngtlai Vengpui seat.Scheduled for Dec 3, the LADC election will see the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) contest all 25 seats, while the main opposition, the Mizo National Front (MNF), has fielded candidates in 20 constituencies. The Indian National Congress (INC) is vying for 14 seats, and BJP has put forward 10 nominees.Thirteen Independent candidates have also entered the race, including former chief executive ember (CEM) of LADC V Zirsanga, who is contesting from the Paithar seat after being denied a party ticket by the ZPM. Meanwhile, T Zakunga, a former BJP member who switched allegiance to the ZPM, is contesting from Vawmbuk as a ZPM nominee.The current CEM and BJP leader, N Zangura, has filed his nomination for the M Kawnpui seat, while MNF senior leader and current LADC chairman, VL Hmuaka, is contesting from Lawngtlai Vengpui. The election is predominantly male-dominated, with Lalhruaitluangi Vandir, the president of BJP’s Lai district, being the only female candidate, contesting from Chawngte ‘P’.The state election commission confirmed that all nomination papers were validated after scrutiny. MNF had previously swept the 2020 LADC election, securing 20 seats, while independents, BJP, and Congress each won a seat. However, the council has faced instability, with frequent changes in leadership and stalled budgets, causing frustration among constituents.As the Dec 3 election approaches, the political landscape in the LADC remains tense, with parties and independents preparing for a fierce contest.
