Mizoram Assembly polls: Three women emerge victorious

Guwahati: In a significant development at the Mizoram Assembly polls, three women candidates emerged victorious from the state.

As per ECI data, Baryl Vanneihsangi and Lalrinpuii, representing the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), and Prova Chakma from Mizo National Front (MNF) have achieved this feat by winning their seats as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Out of the 174 candidates in the fray, only 16 were women. Of them, two contested in two constituencies each, making it 18 seats having women candidates fighting the Assembly elections.

In the Aizawl South-III constituency, Vanneihsangi won the elections by 1,414 votes. She got 9,370 votes while her nearest rival F Lalnunmawia from MNF received 7,956 votes.

Lalrinpuii defeated Congress candidate Joseph Lalhimpuia by 1,646 votes in Lunglei East. While the MNF candidate secured 5,641 votes, the Congress nominee bagged 3,995 votes.

Chakma, who polled 7,167 votes, won the West Tuipui seat by 711 votes against Congress' Nihar Kanti Chakma, who pocketed 6,456 votes.

Since the inception of Mizoram’s assembly elections in 1972, only four women had served as MLAs before these elections.

This year’s result is the first instance that three women got elected as MLAs in a single electoral process, paving a new path for gender equality.