From Saurav Borah
GUWAHATI: Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), an electoral alliance formed by seven parties in Mizoram, believes that a strong preference for change in the political milieu will see it through in the Assembly elections on November 28.
ZPM is contesting in 38 constituencies, and a recent opinion poll conducted by a Bengaluru-based techie projected the party winning in 29 of the 40 Assembly seats while the rest went to Mizo National Front (MNF).
“Although this time it is difficult to make an assessment, the general feeling is that ZPM is going to form the government. Our competition will be mainly with MNF this time. The Congress is losing while the BJP is there just to open its account in Mizoram and is therefore not a force to be reckoned with,” chief ministerial candidate of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Lalduhoma told The Shillong Times.
The 69-year-old, who is the also president of one of ZPM’s constituents, Zoram Nationalist Party, said that for the past 34 years, it has just been Congress and MNF which have ruled Mizoram. “So, enough is enough. People want a change. They do not want the same chief minister every time. There is anti-incumbency, for sure,” Lalduhoma, who has also topped the latest opinion poll for “most wanted CM”, said.
The ZPM chief ministerial candidate is contesting from two seats – Aizawl West-I and Serchhip, where incumbent chief minister, Lal Thanhawla is also in the fray. “I will win both seats,” he said confidently, when asked how he saw the challenge in Serchhip.
The political trend and electoral behaviour this time, he said, is quite different. “In the previous elections, parties formed governments on negative votes. But this time, the government is going to be formed by positive votes…the people have constructive minds. The women, the youth, Church, NGOs, all are in our favour,” said Lalduhoma who joined politics after quitting his IPS officer’s post to join politics in 1984.
Asked whether the regional sentiments would give ZPM an edge over the national parties, he said, “People have started losing sentiments. In the previous times, the parties played their songs, displayed flags to arouse such sentiments. This time, it will not work,” he said.
The ZPM leader said that the party has a clear-cut agenda, which is to provide basic needs to the people. “More than half of Mizoram’s population does not have basic needs. According to the latest economic survey, 55 per cent of the population in the state is non productive. So we are going to have a hand holding policy to make them stand on their feet,” Lalduhoma said.
“We have to ban liquor which has resulted in many children becoming orphans while women have become widows,” he said. Then again, he added, the state government has till date, not introduced a sports policy, “which we plan to put in place. We will be working under the national sports policy”.
Asked whether he would try to have an Assam-like National Register of Citizens in place, the veteran politician said, “NRC is certainly one of our priorities.”
The ZPM chief ministerial candidate also ruled out a hung legislature. “I don’t think there will be a hung legislature this time, because we are going to form the government alone…Just in case there is a fractured mandate, the government will be one led by my party,” Lalduhoma said.
On whether there was a chance of differences cropping up, with seven constituents in ZPM, he ruled out any such probability downright.
“We have sacrificed our own names, campaign songs, party symbols and flags to be under one platform. We are functioning like a single party, right from the village to the state level. Our administration is under one chairman … But we don’t call ourselves a party, it is a people’s movement. We don’t charge any fee to join the party. Anyone who is willing to make reformation is welcome…,” he said.