FIRs mark end to campaigning for Aizawl assembly seat

Aizawl: Campaigning for the November 21 by-election to Aizawl North III Assembly seat in Mizoram ended on Thursday amidst acrimony with a candidate and a Congress leader filing FIRs against each other.
Mizo National Front candidate R Vanlalvena filed the FIR against Aizawl District Congress Committee (ADCC) leader K Lalthantluanga, who had accused him of taking Rs 2 lakh from Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla just before 2013 state Assembly elections.
Lalthantluanga in a press conference on Wednesday had said Vanlalvena had received the money from the chief minister through him following promises to campaign for Lal Thanhawla in Hrangturzo Assembly seat.
Vanlalvena in his FIR said he had never received money from Lal Thanhawla or Lalthantluanga and the latter’s claim was an attempt to tarnish his name and that of MNF during the hustings.
Lalthantluanga filed a counter FIR in the same police station claiming that his statement was true and the MNF candidate was trying to defame him.
Polling for the by-poll to the Aizawl North – III seat would be held on Saturday. By-poll in the constituency was necessitated by the resignation of former health minister Lal Thanzara on August 18 last due to allegations of ‘conflict of interests’ in news reports and by the opposition parties. Lal Thanzara, the younger brother of Lal Thanhawla allegedly held more than 21 per cent shares in a construction company which bagged road construction work of the state government worth crores of rupees.
His HP Food Products company was also alleged to have supplied nutrition items worth crores of rupees to the state social welfare department when he was a parliamentary secretary and later a minister of state. He is, however, the Congress candidate for the same seat he vacated. (PTI)