Mizoram: Retired school teacher to be first chairman of Lunglei civic body

A 62-year-old retired school teacher, Lalzuithanga, will head the Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) after the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) swept elections, party sources said on Tuesday. 

Lalzuithanga, the councillor of ward-III, was unanimously selected as the chairman. K Lalrinawma, 37, of ward VII will be the vice-chairman, they said. 

ZPM party won all 11 seats in the first elections to the civic body that was created last year, in a major setback to the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) headed by chief minister Zoramthanga. 

Also Read: Mizoram municipal poll results: Zoram Peoples Movement wrests power from Mizo National Front, wins all 11 wards

Lalzuithanga, who retired as a school teacher in 2021, defeated his nearest opponent F Lalsawmkima of MNF by a margin of 456 votes. ZPM secured 49.31 per cent of the total votes polled, while the MNF managed to get 29.4 per cent of the votes. 

The Congress, which also fielded candidates in all the seats, secured 20 per cent votes, and the BJP which contested nine seats, managed to get only 0.75 per cent of the total votes polled. 

There are four assembly constituencies in the LMC area, and all of those were won by the MNF in 2018. Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly are due later this year.