Former IPS officer and security in-charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Mr. Lalduhoma can be the new CM of Mizoram as Zoram People’s Movement, popularly known as ZPM, has got the majority in Assembly Election 2023. Mr. Lalduhoma is an IPS officer of 1977 batch.
On 4 December, the results of Mizoram assembly election 2023, which went to poll on 7 November, 2023, were declared, and the ZNP got a clear majority with 27 seats, defeating the Mizo National Front (MNF) alliance, in the 40 seats state assembly.
Mr. Lalduhoma is the founder and president of Zoram People’s Movement party. He won his election from the Sercchip constituency by a margin of 2,982 votes. After 30 years, he is set to be the first new leader of the state.
WHO IS LALDUHOMA?
74 year old Mr Lalduhoma hails from Tualpui village in Champhai district of Mizoram. His father was a farmer. He is the youngest of four siblings.
He studied at Khawzawl elementary and middle schools, and completed matriculation from G.M. High School at Champhai.
Before joining civil services, he was appointed in 1972 as Principal Assistant at the Chief Minister’s Office by Ch. Chhunga, the first Chief Minister of Mizoram, as union territory. While working, he enrolled for an evening course of bachelor’s degree and graduated with distinction from Gauhati University.
His journey as an IPS officer started in 1977. Interestingly, he served as a squad leader in Goa to crush delinquent hippies and smugglers. His achievements were recognised by the national media.
And then, he was transferred to serve as security in-charge of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi in 1982. He was given special promotion as Deputy Commissioner of Police. He was also secretary of the organising committee of the 1982 Asian Games, chaired by Rajiv Gandhi.
It is being said that Mr. Lalduhoma was influenced by Indira Gandhi and that is why, he decided to enter politics and resigned from IPS. He left his job and 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 the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Therefore, Lalduhoma can be credited with playing a key role in the birth of the Mizoram state.
Mr. Lalduhoma created history by being elected to the Lok Sabha as Congress candidate from Mizoram in 1984, after resigning from the security service to the PM.
But soon, he left the Indian National Congress, as he was disqualified from the Parliament. He became the first MP to be discharged because of anti-defection law in India. It is said that he created disputes within state Congress leaders and was disqualified for defying the party whip.
After that setback, he formed the Mizo National Union (MNU) in 1986, which later merged with the Mizoram People’s Conference. He was made acting president.
Mr. Lalduhoma briefly joined MNF as advisor, but soon split from them to establish the Mizo National Front (Nationalist), which was renamed Zoram Nationalist Party, in 1997.
He became MLA for the first time in 2003 under the banner of the Zoram Nationalist Party, a party he himself founded.
He won the elections from two seats in 2018, Aizawl West-I and Serchhip, as an independent candidate. Later, he vacated the Aizawl West-I seat to retain Serchhip.
In the 2018 elections, he and his party joined the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), a 6-party alliance.
When Mr. Lalduhoma fought the 2018 elections, he was the head of ZPM though the party was not registered and he and the other party candidates contested as independents. In 2020, he was disqualified as an MLA, for defecting to the ZPM.
Initiated as a shared platform for six minor regional parties and civil society groups in 2017, the ZPM was not yet officially recognized during the 2018 Assembly elections. It wasn’t until 2019 that the ZPM gained official recognition as a party.
He registered the ZPM party in 2019, although his party was functioning properly from 2017.
