The four-year-old Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) won a landslide victory in the Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 by winning 27 seats in the 40-member Assembly, as per the results announced on Monday, 4 December.
The Mizoram polls saw a multi-party fight between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the ZPM, the Congress, and the BJP. The MNF's tally fell from 26 in 2018 to just 9 in 2023. The BJP and Congress managed to win just two and one seat, respectively.
Incumbent CM Zoramthanga of the MNF also lost from his own constituency. His successor as CM could be 74-year-old ex-IPS officer Lalduhoma, the president of ZPM.
Since 1989, the CM's chair has been held either by the Congress' Lalthanhawla or MNF's Zoramthanga. This pattern may finally be broken if Lalduhoma becomes CM.
So, who is Lalduhoma and what has his political journey been so far?
From Indira Gandhi's Security Officer to Lok Sabha MP
Lalduhoma is a former IPS officer who worked in the security team of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Lalduhoma played a critical role in the peace accord of 1987 which led to the formation of the Mizoram state.
He was reportedly sent by Indira Gandhi to hold negotiations with Mizo militant leader Laldenga in London and persuade him for peace talks. Laldenga finally signed a peace accord in 1987 with then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Lalduhoma can be credited with playing a key role in the birth of the Mizoram state.
Lalduhoma won a Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket from Mizoram in 1984. But he later fell out with state Congress leaders and was disqualified for defying the party whip, becoming the first Lok Sabha MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in 1988.
Lalduhoma rode a wave of popular support on promises of a clean government and a break from the MNF-Congress dominance in the state politics.
Playing Safe with Mizo Nationalistic Sentiments
ZPM, under the leadership of Lalduhoma, took a middle path on ideological issues and gained popularity mostly in urban areas.
Without going against any identity or nationalism-oriented issues, the ZPM promised better overall development and governance and presented itself as an ideal alternative to the two main parties, Zoramthanga's MNF and the Congress.
Lalduhoma has repeatedly been clear on his stand that his party would maintain distance from the BJP and Congress.
"We will not join any political formation at the national level. We do not want to be dictated from New Delhi."Lalduhoma in an ET interview
The outgoing MNF was an ally of the BJP at the national level but not at the state level. It remains to be seen if the BJP will push for a similar understanding with the ZPM.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)