Mizoram Election 2023: Mizoram goes to polls in a single phase on November 7 for its 40-member Assembly. Since its formation in 1986, this north-eastern state has seen power rest either in the hands of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress.
Only two Chief Ministers – Lal Thanhawla from the Congress and Zoramthanga from MNF have led the state since 1993. However, the Assembly elections this year has witnessed the emergence of a third party, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), in Mizoram’s politics as a strong contender. The ZPM has fielded its candidates from all the 40 seats. It also formed an alliance with the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC). According to an agreement signed by both parties, the HPC had agreed to extend its full support to the ZPM, without fielding any candidates on its own.
In the 2018 elections, the ZPM, which was an unregistered party in 2018, bagged eight seats and emerged as the second-largest party in the Mizoram Assembly, relegating the Congress to the third position with just four seats. The ZPM candidates fought as Independents and six of them won, and Lalduhoma became the first ZPM legislator to win on the party’s symbol after its inception in 2017.
Under the leadership of 71-year-old Lalduhoma, who is the CM face, the ZPM is looking to consolidate its gains. In the 2018 Mizoram Assembly elections, Lalduhoma contested as an Independent candidate from two seats – Aizawl West-I and Serchhip – and won both. He ousted incumbent Congress legislator and five-time Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla from the Serchhip seat. Later, he vacated the Aizawl West-I seat to retain Serchhip.
Lalduhoma, who joined the Indian Police Service, was the security in-charge for then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. After he resigned from service in 1984, he entered politics by joining the Congress and was elected as Lok Sabha MP later that year. However, after falling out with the Congress leadership, he resigned and lost his Lok Sabha membership. In 2020, Mizoram Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo disqualified Lalduhoma for defecting to ZPM. Lalduhoma, thereby, became the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in India.
In 2021, following Lalduhoma’s disqualification from the Serchhip seat, a by-election was held in April, which saw a voter turnout of 83 per cent. The ruling MNF suffered a humiliating defeat in the bypoll to the Serchhip assembly seat as Lalduhoma retained the seat by a landslide margin securing 8,269 votes, which is 51 per cent of the total 16,595 votes polled and defeated his nearest opponent Vanlalzawma of the MNF by a margin of 3,310 votes.
On March 29 this year, with an impressive performance in the municipal election in Lunglei, Mizoram’s second-biggest town, where ZPM won all 11 seats, the party is going all-out to emerge victorious in the Mizoram elections 2023. ZPM had swept the elections with the party registering a vote share of over 49%, while MNF and Congress which also fought in all the wards, bagged vote shares of 29% plus and 20%, respectively. The victory gave rise to the speculation over anti-incumbency in the state.
In the 2023 elections, Lalduhoma is contesting from Serchhip and is pitted against MNF debutant and senior journalist J Malsawmzual Vanchhawng, who hails from the same constituency, while the Congress has fielded R Vanlaltluanga from the Assembly constituency.
