Curated By: Sanstuti Nath
Last Updated: December 06, 2023, 15:16 IST
Baryl Vanneihsangi: From Radio Jockey to Politican, Mizoram’s Youngest MLA. (Image: Insta)
Since becoming a Union territory in 1972, Mizoram just elected four woman lawmakers till 2027. Each of the four was the lone female in the Assemble at a time
The results of the recently concluded Mizoram Assembly Election results were historic in more ways than one. With the landslide victory, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) is set to form the first non-MNF and non-Congress government in the northeastern state. In another first, three women were elected as MLAs in the otherwise male-dominated 40-member legislative assembly.
While Lunglei East Lalrinpuii MLA and Aizawl South-3 MLA Baryl Vanneihsangi are from the victorious Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), West Tuipui legislator Pravo Chakma was elected from the outgoing Mizo National Front (MNF) ticket.
Mizoram Get Its Youngest MLA
Among the three women lawmakers, 32-year-old Baryl Vanneihsangi created history by becoming the youngest MLA of Mizoram after winning the recent state election.
A radio jockey by profession, Vanneihsangi has a sizeable Instagram following with over 252k followers. She holds a Masters in Arts from the North Eastern Hill University in Shillong and was a corporator in the Aizawl Municipal Corporation earlier.
“I just want to tell all the women out there that our gender doesn’t stop us from doing anything that we like and wish to pursue. It doesn’t prevent us from taking up something that we are passionate about. My message to them is that regardless of which community or social strata they belong to, if they want to take up something they should just go for it,” Vanneihsangi said while speaking to news agency ANI after she won from Aizawl South-III constituency by 1,414 votes.
History of Female Legislators in Mizoram
Since becoming a Union territory in 1972, Mizoram just elected four woman lawmakers till 2027. Each of the four was the lone female in the Assemble at a time.
The first woman MLA in Mizoram was L. Thanmawii of the People’s Conference, which formed the government under Brigadier Thenphunga Sailo in 1978.
She paved the way for PC’s K Thansiami, who was elected in 1984. Three years later, MNF’s Lalhlimpuii became the first woman Minister of the State.
Another woman legislator, Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu, was elected in a 2014 by-election and was later inducted as a junior minister in the erstwhile Congress government headed by Lal Thanhawla in 2017.
Now in 2023, ZPM, Mizoram’s newest party, won the election by taking 27 of 40 seats, decimating the incumbent Mizo National Front (MNF).
In these elections, out of the 174 candidates contesting, only 16 were women. Of them, two contested in two constituencies each, making it 18 seats having women candidates fighting the assembly elections.
