Mizoram: Dampa Assembly Bypoll Scheduled for November 11

The Election Commission of India announced that a by-election for the Dampa Assembly seat in Mamit district, north-western Mizoram, will be held on November 11, alongside bypolls in Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, and the second phase of Bihar’s Assembly elections.

The nomination filing deadline is October 21, with scrutiny of nomination papers set for October 22. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 24. Vote counting for the Dampa bypoll, along with other state by-elections and Bihar’s Assembly polls, is scheduled for November 14.

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The bypoll was necessitated by the passing of Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo on July 21, 2025. The ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has fielded Vanlalsailova, a well-known Mizo singer and preacher, while the MNF, the primary opposition, has nominated its senior vice president and former health minister, R. Lalthangliana.

The Congress has chosen its vice president and former minister, John Rotluangaliana, as its candidate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put forward Lalhmangaiha, a former Congress leader who recently joined the party.

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According to the final electoral roll released on September 30, Dampa has 20,790 registered voters, including 10,185 women. The constituency features 41 polling stations, with Silsury-I having the highest voter count at 1,103 and Zopui the lowest with 30 voters, as per the Election Department.

Political analysts suggest the Dampa bypoll could reshape Mizoram’s political dynamics ahead of the 2028 assembly elections. A victory for the ZPM would bolster its confidence and strengthen its prospects of retaining power in 2028.

For the MNF, which currently holds nine seats in the 40-member assembly, winning the seat is critical to maintaining its status as the Leader of the Opposition, a position requiring at least 10 MLAs. The BJP, meanwhile, sees the bypoll as an opportunity to enhance its credibility in Mizoram, a Christian-majority state where it has faced challenges overcoming perceptions of being “communal” and “anti-Christian.”