With Lok Sabha and assembly elections coming, Congress and Mizoram's Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) have formed an alliance in Mizoram.
The official agreement between the two parties will be announced later, however, according to sources, Congress will have a candidate from the only Lok Sabha seat in the state while ZPM will contest from the Aizawl West-I assembly seat.
The Congress and the ZPM have five and eight legislators in the 40-member Mizoram assembly respectively. As its sitting lawmaker, CL Ruala has refused to contest in the elections, Congress is in need of a new candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.
The by-election to the Aizawl West-I assembly seat had to be held after the ZPM's chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma vacated his seat.
Lalduhoma had won against the then CM Lal Thanhawla in Serchhip constituency, and former minister K Sangthuama of the Mizo National Front (MNF) in the assembly polls held on November 28th last year.
Meanwhile, the ruling MNF, the BJP and the People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram party had issued a statement that they would go alone for the polls.