Mizoram polls 2023: Why ZPM could be a dark horse in MNF-Congress-dominated state

Ever since it stunned everyone five years ago by emerging as the second largest party with eight of the total 40 seats, the ZPM has continued to grow in Mizoram, particularly in urban areas.

Political watchers cite one main reason for the ZPM’s expanding footprint is the increasing distaste among voters towards both MNF and the Congress, which have alternatively ruled Mizoram since the state came into being in 1986.

Everyone now accepts that the November 7 election in the small state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh – with just 8.5 lakh voters – will see a three-cornered contest involving the MNF, ZPM and Congress.

In other words, the political hegemony of the MNF and Congress are over.

ZPM challenge

Political observers say ZPM could pose a major challenge to the other two parties.

Led by former IPS officer Lalduhoma, the ZPM will contest all 40 constituencies. Observers say its appeal has increased in urban areas, and earlier this year it won all 11 seats in the municipal election in Lunglei, Mizoram’s second-biggest town.

The Congress, which along with the MNF, has alternatively ruled Mizoram since the state was formed in 1986, was pushed to the third spot with just four seats in 2018 despite getting a larger vote share than ZPM. It hopes to do better this time.

Candidates named

Both the MNF and ZPM have announced candidates for all seats. The Congress has named 39 candidates.

Chief Minister and MNF President Zoramthanga will run from Aizawl East - I, which he won in the 2018 Assembly elections. Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia will contest from Tuichang.

ZPM leader Lalduhoma will contest from the Serchip constituency, where he won in a by-election.

Zoramthanga took charge as chief minister in 2018 after the MNF won 27 seats. It was his third term in power and marked a return to the top job after a decade.

He had led two successive MNF governments from 1998 to 2008 but then came the two tenures of the Congress led by Lal Thanhawla.

Going against the Central government's directives, the MNF government has sheltered Chin refugees from Myanmar since the military coup in that neighbouring country. They now number more than 35,000.

This year, the Mizoram government has also sheltered more than 12,000 Kuki-Zomi people displaced by the ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur. The chief minister has also been in touch with Kuki-Zomi MLAs from Manipur who are unhappy with their chief minister N Biren Singh.

Refugees in Mizoram

With an eye on elections, the Mizoram government declared last month that it would ignore the Centre’s orders to collect biometric data of “illegal immigrants” from Myanmar in the state.

In 2018, the BJP made its debut in the Mizoram Assembly with the election of Buddha Dhan Chakma from the minority Chakma community.

But the party has no easy task in the predominantly Christian state. The BJP’s failure to restore order in Manipur, where tribals have suffered enormously at the hands of the dominant Meiteis, has further dented the party’s image in tribal-dominated Mizoram.

ZPM emerged as an alliance of six parties just before the last election and later reorganised as a single entity.

The vote count in Mizoram, as in the other four states that will also see elections next month, will occur on December 3.