[6] His electoral constituencies were Serchhip and Hrangturzo from where he successfully contested the Mizoram Legislative Assembly elections nine times, in 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2003, 2008, and 2013.

[4][8] Lal Thanhawla started his career as Recorder in the office of Inspector of Schools under the Mizoram District Council, which was in turn under the Government of Assam.

In 1966, he joined the underground movement called Mizo National Front (MNF) as Foreign Secretary.

[3][12] In November 2021, Thanhawla announced his voluntary retirement from party leadership, saying to The Indian Express: "Politics is in my blood and I can never shrug it off.

The next day, Gandhi appointed him as a member of the Congress Working Committee, and Lalsawta as the new President of MPCC.

Major roles he's held in these areas include:[7][11] In addition he served as: In 1995, officials of the Income Tax Department investigated a case of tax evasion by the Baid Group, which operated a travel agency Capital Travels (Capital Tours (India) Pvt.

[23][24] Based on this evidence, two social workers, Zairema and Bualhranga, filed a public interest litigation action with the Supreme Court of India in 1996.

An investigation was carried out by the anti-corruption wing of the Mizoram police from 1998,[24] and P. Singthanga, Special Judge of the Prevention of Corruption Act, was appointed as the prosecutor.

[27] On 25 April 2003, a chargesheet was submitted by John Neihlaia, Commandant of the First Battalion of the Mizoram Armed Police, upon which the court ordered an arrest.

Chhangte submitted corruption charges regarding Thanhawla under Section 125 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Serchhip District on 17 January 2018.

[32] Thanhawla made excuses and did not appear before the court in the first two summons in March and April 2018,[33] as his counsel Remsanga Nghaka reported "personal problems.

[30] On his first appearance before the court on 26 May, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Lalngaihmawia Zote acquitted Thanhawla regarding the age issue, as the period of verification for election had lapsed.