Lal Thanhawla, who steered the Congress back to power in Mizoram in a landslide win after a gap of ten years, was on Wednesday elected as the legislature party leader.

The Congress Legislature Party, met on Wednesday to elect 68-year-old Lal Thanhawla as newly-elected MLAs reached the state capital from far-flung areas.

Congress party sources said the party would now stake claim to form government before governor Lt Gen M M Lakhera.

The Congress carved out its biggest victory in Mizoram after it attained statehood in 1987 bagging 32 seats out of 40 and handing one of the worst defeats to the ruling Mizo National Front.