Campaigning for the prestigious Aizawl South III constituency, considered as the orange bowl of Mizoram, has been a low-key affair following the Mizo Peoples' Forum's (MPF) diktat, which the candidates have religiously followed.

Adhering to the diktats of the forum, the contestants decided not to have lots of colourful posters, banners and door-to-door campaign.

Despite low campaigning, the constituency is all set to witness an interesting tussle between State Home Minister Tawnluia and Congress nominee K S Thanga who is number two in the cabinet, during the December two Assembly polls.

Tawnluia, former Mizo National Front (MNF) army chief, has made his presence felt through the few posters which MPF allowed him to put on display in this tiny constituency, covering 28 villages and hamlets, bordering the capital town of Aizawl.

However, Thanga, the Congress nominee and a former student leader, hopes to be lucky third time as his earlier efforts to find a place in the state assembly were unsuccessful.

The Congress nominee said that at the nearby village Kelsih, which has about 140 households, the battle will be evenly poised between his party and the MNF.

Another candidate in the fray, 35-year-old F Lalnummawia, an independent, has drawn attention during his visit to the constituency.

Lalnummawia, a lecturer in the Mizo University, is expected to garner support from Samtlang village in the constituency, where he was brought up.

Meanwhile, the MPF's decision has also affected more than 16,000 voters of the constituency as most of them when approached were not in a mood to elaborate on the fate of the hopefuls.

L R Liana, a 56 year-old voter here when asked about the visibility of the candidates in the constituency said that only a few of them have visited Melriat village.

Aizawl South-III, though included in the city constituencies comprises villages outside it and is one of the three constituencies to have more men voters than women voters.