Aizawl, Apr 13 (PTI) Four political parties, including the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, have released their list of candidates for elections to Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) in Siaha district which will be held on May 5.

The MNF, Congress, and the BJP have fielded candidates for all the 25 seats, while the main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which is contesting the MADC polls for the first time, has announced names of eight candidates.

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The BJP is currently in power in the MADC. Releasing the names of party candidates on Wednesday, state BJP president Vanlalhmuaka, said the saffron party is expecting to win 15 to 17 seats in the upcoming polls.

Announcing the names of the party candidates, ZPM working president K. Sapdanga said "it is great that the ZPM is contesting eight seats”.

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The last date for filing nomination papers ended on Wednesday, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is on April 18.

The counting of votes will be conducted on May 9.

The election process will be completed on May 11 and the first meeting of the new council is scheduled for May 13.

As many as 42,326 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the upcoming MADC polls.

MADC is one of the three autonomous district councils which were constituted in the southern part of the state as per the sixth schedule of the Constitution.

The council has 25 elected and 3 nominated members.

In the last council poll held in May 2017, the Congress had registered a landslide victory by securing 17 seats, while the MNF and Mara Democratic Front (MDF) combine won seven and an Independent was elected.

Later, the MDF members joined the BJP when the regional party merged with the saffron camp.

In 2019, most Congress members of the MADC defected to the saffron party.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)