Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) secured a landslide victory in the 2023 Mizoram Assembly elections by 27 out of 40 seats and party chief Lalduhoma is set to become the next chief minister of the north-eastern state.
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) was restricted to 10 seats in the polls, while the BJP managed to get two, and Congress finished fourth with just one seat.
With ZPM's victory in the Assembly polls, the focus has now shifted to former IPS officer Lalduhoma, who has led ZPM to a thumping victory.
Lalduhoma served as an IPS officer in Goa and was later made in charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security in New Delhi.
Lalduhoma’s journey from IPS officer to politician
The 74-year-old marked his entry into politics as a Lok Sabha MP in 1984. However, in 1988, he became the first Member of Parliament to be disqualified under the anti-defection law.
In 2020, Lalduhoma again faced disqualification -- this time as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Mizoram for violating the anti-defection law. However, he won the by-poll from the Serchhip seat in 2021.
In the 2023 Mizoram Assembly polls, Lalduhoma again contested polls from the Serchhip seat and won by a margin of 2,982 votes.
According to reports, Lalduhoma left the Congress in 1986 after being accused of conspiring against former chief minister Lal Thanhawla and others.
Lalduhoma is now all set to become the next Chief Minister of Mizoram.
Formed in 2017, the Zoram People’s Movement contested the Mizoram Assembly election for the first time as a recognised political party in 2023. Under Lalduhoma’s leadership, ZPM has now registered a resounding victory.
It was formed as a coalition of six regional parties and civil society groups. Lalduhoma's Zoram Nationalist Party is one of the six regional parties, which are part of the Zoram People’s Movement.
ZPM has promised to address the issue of corruption in governance.
In Mizoram, this is the first time that a political party other than the Mizo National Front and the Indian National Congress has come into power.
Voting for the 2023 Assembly elections in Mizoram took place in a single phase on November 7, while the counting of votes was held on December 4. This time, Mizrom witnessed a voter turnout of 80.66%.
There were 174 candidates in the fray. While the ruling Mizo National Front, Zoram People's Movement, and Congress contested all 40 seats, BJP fielded its candidates in 23 Assembly constituencies.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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