Congress-MNF(N) alliane suffers setback

AIZAWL, August 18: An electoral alliance between the Congress and the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) is in trouble. Efforts by the Pradesh Congress Committee to forge an alliance with the MNF(N) received a setback on Monday when its nomination committee rejected the MNF president's name as the consensus candidate for the forthcoming elections and decided to field a Congressman for the state's lone Lok Sabha seat. According to senior PCC leader, Sainghaka, the chance of an electoral alliance with the MNF(N) had almost gone with the wind as the MPCC nomination committee felt a Congressman should be fielded as the consensus candidate. Earlier, the MNF(N) had given the Congress a two-point agenda as a prerequisite to forging an electoral alliance. The MNF(N) wanted the Congress to fight the election on a "free symbol" and freeze its hand symbol. At last week's meeting, the PCC's political affairs committee had rejected the MNF(N)'s demand, but left the final decision to the central leadership. The MNF(N) had also asked for a free hand in selecting the candidate for the elections and proposed the name of its president Lalduhawma.