AIZAWL: The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and Hmar People's Convention (HPC) have forged an electoral alliance for the upcoming village council and local council polls, an HPC leader said on Sunday.
Elections to 558 village councils in nine districts of the state barring three Autonomous District Council (ADC) areas and 83 local councils in Aizawl Municipal area will be held on August 27.
HPC president Thangliensung told PTI that the alliance was forged last week at a closed-door meeting between leaders of the two parties in Aizawl.
He said that the agreement to jointly fight the local body polls was made as the MNF-HPC combine had successfully contested the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) poll in November last year.
"The two parties will jointly fight the village council polls in 31 villages in SHC area," he said.
Though the electoral alliance was forged at the general headquarters level of the two parties, seat sharing will be made based on local arrangement and consent of the two parties at unit or village level, he said.
He said that seat sharing arrangement or a consensus is yet to be reached in some villages as each (HPC or MNF) party wished to fight it alone in their respective village councils.
There are 31 village councils within Hmar dominated SHC area in the northeastern part of Mizoram.
On November 5 last year, the ruling MNF and HPC combine had swept the first SHC polls by winning 10 seats in the 12-member council.
The village council and local council polls is expected to see a triangular fight between the ruling MNF, Congress and main opposition Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM).
The last date for filing nomination papers for the village council and local council polls was fixed on August 11 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature was fixed on August 13 by the state election commission.
Counting of votes would be undertaken on August 27 as soon as polling is over.
There are 2,464 village council seats in 9 districts - Aizawl, Lunglei, Serchhip, Champhai, Mamit, Kolasib, Saitual, Khawzawl and Hnahthial and 545 local council seats in Aizawl municipal area.
According to the state election commission, a total of 4,54,180 electorates, including 2,29,937 female voters would exercise their franchise in village council polls while 2,18,758 voters, including 1,17,037 female voters would elect their 545 representatives in local council polls where ballot papers would be used.