Lalduhoma, The Major Competitor For Mizoram Chief Minister

Lalduhoma is a dominant name in Mizoram’s Assembly Election. He is one of the key contestants for Chief Ministerial seat in the state apart from the incumbent Chief Minister Zoramthanga. Starting his political career from Indian National Congress in 1984, the Mizoram leader is competing from Serchhip constituency.

Lalduhoma is the leader of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). An alliance of six regional parties. He was the founder and president of Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), which entered into coalition with Zoram People’s Movement. He was chosen as the first candidate for  Chief Minister post from the ZNP led Zoram People’s Movement.

Before entering into politics, Lalduhoma was an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer from Mizoram. He became the IPS officer in 1977 and started practising in Goa. He was promoted to Delhi in 1982 after his achievements were recognised by the national media. In Delhi, he served as Indhira Gandhi’s security officer.

His inspiration to work in politics was inspired from Gandhi, especially due to the political and social unrest in Mizoram that came as a result of the Mizo National Front insurgency that have its roots in 1966. He resigned from his position as security officer of Prime Minister Indhira Gandhi and joined Indian National Congress in 198. In the same year, he was elected as the member of Lok Sabha.

In 1984, Lalduhoma contested from Lunglei constituency but lost the election. He was selected as President of Mizoram INC in the same year. he withdrew from his membership of INC in 1986, as the party lacked the actions of peace as per his expectations. This action of Lalduhoma was against the provision under Anti-Defection Law of 1985 to continue in legislatures.

According to the Constitution of India, if one leaves the party through which he or she was elected as the member of the parliament and state legislature, the party can disqualify the person. In 1988, he got disqualified. He became the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law.

Lalduhoma never gave upon his resilience on attaining peace for his states. He created Action for Peace Committee in 1986, which was supported by political parties and student bodies. The Committee went under mass protest and hunger strike asking for the resignation of the state government after knowing that the state government was actually delaying the peace talk. The protest led to the signing of Mizoram peace Accord and the insurgency was terminated.

Mizo National Front started to be recognised as a political party. Lalduhoma joined MNF for a brief period of time, but split from the party soon and created Mizo National Front. Mizo National Front was later renamed as Zoram’s Nationalist Part in the year 1997. He was elected as a member of Mizoram Legislative Assembly from Ratu constituency in 2003, as a member of ZNP candidate.

Though Lalduhoma’s Zoram’s Nationalist Party joined Zoram People’s Movement by 2018, he contested as an independent candidate as his ZPM was not recognised as an official party by the Election Commission of India. He was elected from two constituencies, Serchhip and Aizawl West I. Lalduhoma chose Serchhip from where he defeated the then Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla of Congress by 410 seats. He was later elected as the opposition leader MLA in Mizoram Legislative Assembly.

By 2019, ZPM became an officially registered party and Lalduhoma continued to serve as the leader of the party. In 2020, 12 MLAs from the ruling Mizo National Front filed a representation to the Mizoram Legislative Assembly Speaker, Lalrinliano Sailo for violating the Anti-Defection Law for serving as the leader of one party (ZPM) while being elected as an independent candidate. He became the first MLA to be removed from Mizoram Legislative Assembly or from any state legislature in India.

But in the by-election conducted in 2021, he competed as a member of ZPM and once again came to power by beating MNF contestant Vanlalzawma by 3,310 votes. Now in the 2023 Assembly Election, ZPM and Lalduhoma is a major competitor of incumbent party Mizo National Front and Chief Minister Zoramthanga.