Tawi Assembly Constituency: Will MNF regain the upper hand or can Congress reassert dominance?

The Tawi Legislative Assembly constituency was previously considered a Congress fortress as the old party ruled Mizoram for two consecutive terms.

Mizoram Assembly elections 2023: Tawi is a Legislative Assembly constituency in Aizawl district of Mizoram. It is one of the forty Legislative Assembly constituencies in the northeastern state and the seat is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

The Tawi Legislative Assembly constituency was previously considered a Congress fortress as the old party ruled Mizoram for two consecutive terms – 2008-2013 and 2013-2018 – before being ousted by the BJP-backed Mizo National Front during the 2018 Mizoram Assembly elections.

Congress veteran R Lalzirliana, who had won the seat twice on a Congress ticket, switched sides and joined the MNF ahead of the 2018 elections. And unsurprisingly, he completed his hat-trick of wins from his Tawi bastion.

However, this time, the 74-year-old wily politician, who is currently minister of power and electricity, arts and culture, land resources, soil and water conservation and district council affairs in the MNF-led Mizoram government, is not from Tawi. Instead, MNF’s Lalrinenga Sailo will take on Congress’s Lalringliana Khiangte as the party looks to orchestrate a revival in the northeastern state in the 2023 polls.

Tawi Assembly Constituency: Major Candidates

The Congress would have probably retained the Tawi seat in the 2018 polls, had it not been for R. Lalzirliana’s unexpected twist. However, the Congress this time has fielded a strong candidate, Lalringliana Khiangte, to take on MNF’s Lalrinenga Sailo, while Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) candidate Lainilawma is also expected to give a tough fight.

Mizoram is all set for a three-way battle between the MNF, ZPM and Congress.

Mizoram Assembly elections: important dates