Aizawl: Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator Lalrintluanga Sailo died of heart attack at a private hospital in Delhi at 9pm on Monday, party sources said. Sailo (65) is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters. He was admitted to hospital on June 29 and was diagnosed with infections which had already affected multiple organs. Mizoram governor Gen. VK Singh, chief minister Lalduhoma and political leaders expressed anguish over the untimely death of the legislator on social media.Sailo’s body was flown to Aizawl from Delhi on Tuesday accompanied by state home minister K Sapdanga and family members. CM Lalduhoma could not go to the airport while assembly speaker Lalbiakzama is also in Delhi. However, almost all the members of the council of ministers and legislators were present at the reception in Lengpui airport. The funeral will be held at his home in Aizawl’s Luangmual neighbourhood.Born on June 13, 1960, Sailo joined the erstwhile underground Mizo National Army (MNA) in 1976 at the age of 16 and was promoted to “second lieutenant”, the rank he held when MNF/MNA cadres laid down their arms in 1986 following signing of a peace accord between the Centre and the MNF on June 30, 1986.He contested the assembly election for the first time in 2008 from the Dampa assembly seat but lost to Lalrobiaka of Congress. Sailo again contested the assembly polls in 2018 from the Dampa seat and became the first ever MNF candidate to win from the constituency. He was again re-elected from his home turf in 2023.
