Aizawl, June 12 : Former Mizoram Finance Minister and veteran Congressman John Lalsangzuala died after a prolonged illness at Aizawl Civil Hospital here around midnight last night. He was 84.
He is survived by his wife Zokhumi, three surviving children and a number of grandchildren.
Born at Kulikawn in Aizawl in 1924, Lalsangzuala joined the First Battalion of Assam Regiment during the World War II in 1941 while he was studying at St Anthony's College in Shillong.
After he retired from the Army in 1958, he engaged in social work and later joined the Indian National Congress and got elected for the first time on the party's ticket from Aizawl South constituency in the 1972 Mizoram UT assembly elections.
He was re-elected to the assembly in 1989 from Aizawl East-I seat and again in 1993 from the same seat.
He had held various Cabinet posts in the Lal Thanhawla-led Congress ministries, but was most popular as finance minister in the 1993-1998 Congress ministry during which he earned a nickname of Mr Clean.
Due to internal crisis in the party, Lalsangzuala split the Pradesh Congress party in 2005 to float Mizoram Congress Party (MCP) with two Congress MLAs and a good number of followers.
After remaining an ally of then ruling Mizo National Front, Lalsangzuala dissolved the MCP and went back to the parent party in 2008 before the state assembly elections.
Political analysts attributed the comeback of Lalsangzuala to the storming resurgence of the Congress in the 2008 assembly elections.
His funeral took place at his Mission Veng residence which was hugely attended by Congress ministers and MLAs, politicians, officials, friends and relatives.
Probe demanded into teacher recruitment scam
9 years ago
