Aizawl: The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) today (Dec 2, 2003) retained two seats, while Opposition Congress lost one to Mara Democratic Front (MDF) and retained another in the election to the 40- member Mizoram Assembly.

D Thangliana (MNF), a captain in former underground outfit retained North Vanlaiphai seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Lalkhama by 105 votes. Speaker R Lalawia, who was elected from the seat in 1998, has shifted to Khawhai.

The MNF won the Aizawl North-I constituency also where sitting legislator Dr Lalzama defeated Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) and Zoram Nationalist Party common candidate V Laichhinga by a margin of 322 votes. Laichhinga contested on an MPC ticket.

Lalzama secured 4853 votes against V Laichhinga's 4,509. Congress candidate C Lalruata got 4214 votes.

MDF candidate P P Thawla emerged victorious in the southernmost corner constituency of Tuipang by defeating his nearest MNF candidate I P Junior by 830 votes.

While P P Thawla polled 3,700 votes and I P Junior 2,870 votes, sitting legislator and Congress candidate K T Rokhaw wound up third with 2,375 votes.

In the Mizoram-Bangladesh border constituency of Tlabung, sitting MLA and Congress candidate Nihar Kanti Chakma retained the seat while defeating his nearest MNF rival Samson Zoramthanga by 265 votes.

Counting for Sqangpuilasl constituency, which witnessed kidnapping of three candidates who were later freed has not been taken up as the Election Commission was yet to take a decision.

PTI