MNF fields former youth president for Rajya Sabha poll in Mizoram

Aizawl,  The ruling Mizo National Front on Thursday nominated the party’s former youth wing president K Kanlalvena as the candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Mizoram.

Following a meeting of the party’s nomination committee chaired by its president and Chief Minister Zoramthanga, Kanlalvena was named as the nominee for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, MNF advisor and state Information and Public Relation Minister Lalruatkima said.

Former student leader Vanlalvena, now the party’s national core committee member, lost to Congress candidate Lal Thanzara in the bypoll to Aizawl North-III assembly seat in November 2015.

Initially, main opposition Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) president Lalliansawta said his party would not field any candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, but later he told PTI that the party would take a call on it at a meeting on Monday.

State Congress president and former chief minister Lal Thanhawla said that his party leaders will be meeting on Friday to decide on the nomination.

The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) has 27 members while ZPM has seven members in the state assembly.

Congress has five MLAs and BJP one in the 40-member House.

Election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Mizoram is scheduled on June 19 along with 23 seats in nine other states, including one each in Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

The term of present Rajya Sabha MP Ronal Sapa Tlau of Congress will end on July 18.

The last date for filing nomination papers is June 9.

While scrutiny of nomination papers will be undertaken on June 10, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 12.