Mizoram, the only state in the northeast where Congress had its presence having lost rest of the parts to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA. The Mizoram Assembly elections are crucial for the dying Congress Party.
According to the on-going exit polls showing on Zee News, it shows that the Mizo National Front (MNF) is leading on 23 seats and the Congress on 12 seats with others on 3 seats. The majority required to form the government is 21 seats.
Earlier, the MNF has been successful in forming its government twice in the state first under Laldenga (1986–88) and then under Zoramthanga (1998–2008). It suffered a huge loss in 2008 and could only manage 3 seats. In 2013 Mizoram state assembly elections; the Congress won 34 seats in 40 member Mizoram legislative assembly. The rival MNF managed to win only 5 seats.
These are not the final results that can be relied upon but every media house is showing that MNF will comfortably form the government and the chance of Congress to retain the only northeastern state where it has been in power since the last ten years also seems to be diminishing.
The biggest challenge for the party was anti-incumbency. The incumbent Congress government has been plagued by the problem of anti-incumbency. The party was also facing serious issue of desertions. Many big leaders including ministers had abandoned the party before the elections. The Home Minister of the state- R Lalzirliana left the party and joined the rival MNF. Earlier, three MLAs- Lalrinriana Salio, Buddha Dhan Chakma and H Khiangte had left the Congress party and joined the MNF.
From the very beginning, it was crystal clear that there is going to be a direct contest between Congress and the MNF. The MNF is a member of North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) established by the BJP in 2016, as a political coalition along with regional parties but both the parties are contesting the State Assembly elections separately. Winds of change are clearly blowing in the state and looks like the dying party will be laid to rest for good, this time around.
