Aizawl, Oct 22 (IANS) Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday urged the people to vote for the BJP candidate in Mizoram’s Dampa Assembly by-election, scheduled to be held on November 11.

Addressing a public meeting at West Phaileng in Mamit district, Rijiju appealed to the people to support Lalhmangaiha, the BJP candidate for the Dampa seat.

The Union Minister said that if elected to the Mizoram Assembly, Lalhmangaiha would be able to serve the people of the state more effectively than candidates of other parties.

Soon after his arrival in Aizawl, Rijiju, a Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh, left for the West Phaileng area, which falls under the Dampa Assembly constituency, and began his two-day election campaign for the by-poll.

Mizoram BJP media convener Johny Lalthanpuia said that the Union Minister will address another public rally at Reiek on Thursday before returning to New Delhi.

Lalthanpuia added that a few other central BJP leaders, including Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, are likely to visit Mizoram to campaign for the party candidate.

Before the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission on October 6, both ruling and opposition parties had declared their candidates and launched campaigns in this politically crucial constituency.

Chief Minister and President of the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) Lalduhoma on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party’s candidate, Vanlalsailova, a prominent Mizo singer and preacher, would win the November 11 by-poll.

Lalduhoma asserted that electoral trends in Mizoram have historically favoured the ruling party in Assembly by-elections.

State Congress President Lal Thanzara, addressing party workers at Kanghmung village on Tuesday, accused both the ruling ZPM and the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) of failing to fulfil their past electoral promises.

MNF’s R. Lalthangliana, Congress’ John Rotluangliana, and Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) nominee K. Zahmingthanga are also contesting, making the Dampa bypoll a five-cornered fight.

Both Lalthangliana (MNF) and Rotluangliana (Congress) are former state ministers. The Dampa Assembly seat in Mizoram’s Mamit district fell vacant following the death of opposition MNF legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo on July 21. Meanwhile, scrutiny of nomination papers was held on Wednesday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 24.

An official statement said that Malsawmzuala, Returning Officer of the Dampa (ST-reserved) Assembly Constituency, conducted the scrutiny and found all nomination papers of intending candidates valid and accepted.

As per the Election Commission’s notification, the period for filing nominations was from October 13 to 21, while October 24 is the last date for withdrawal.

The Dampa constituency, bordering Bangladesh, has a sizable minority population, including members of the Chakma and Reang tribal communities.

According to the final electoral rolls published on September 30, a total of 20,790 voters, including 10,185 women, are eligible to cast their votes.

The Election Commission has appointed three central observers — a General Observer, a Police Observer, and an Expenditure Observer — to oversee the election process. Adequate security arrangements are being made under the supervision of State Police Nodal Officer H. Ramthlengliana, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters and Law & Order).

–IANS

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