Aizawl: The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), an alliance of six parties, has cruised to victory in the Mizoram assembly elections, winning 27 seats out of 40 and reducing the incumbent Mizo National Front (MNF) to just 10.
ZPM working president K. Sapdanga said Monday that the alliance would stake claim to form the government after consulting party leaders. Lalduhoma is set to be the state’s next chief minister.
Outgoing Chief Minister Zoramthanga — who lost his own Aizawl East I seat to the ZPM’s Lalthansanga by a margin of over 2,100 votes — submitted his resignation to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at 4 pm Monday.
Assembly elections were held in Mizoram on 7 November and the votes were counted Monday. The counting had been postponed from Sunday after protests from Church leaders and civil society groups in Aizawl. The BJP, which contested 23 seats, enhanced its tally from one to two, while the Congress, which contested 40 seats, bagged one. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested four seats for the first time, drew a blank.
The ZPM was formed six years ago and won eight seats in the 2018 elections. Sapdanga, who has been elected from Aizawl North-III, said the results were as expected, and attributed the ZPM’s victory this time to the desire of the people to test ‘Kalphung Thar‘ (new system of governance).
“We are very thankful to the people for their support and giving us the right mandate. Our victory is mainly because of the desire by the people to test a new system of government,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, ZPM chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma said that he would stake his claim to form the next government Tuesday or Wednesday after holding a meeting with all the elected legislators of his party Tuesday.
Lalduhoma said that his government’s first priority would be to purchase four types of agricultural products – ginger, chili, turmeric and broom stem.
Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Zoramthanga attributed the defeat to anti-incumbency and people being “aggrieved” with his performance. He also blamed it on the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it had completely halted developmental work for almost half of his five-year term.
“I am satisfied and accept the verdict of the people, and I hope that the next government will perform,” he said.
Zoramthanga, who is also president of the ruling MNF, had been riding high during the electioneering on the issue of giving shelter to the tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh as well as over 11,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from neighbouring Manipur.
Zoramthanga had said that the refugees and IDPs wanted the MNF to retain power so that they could continue to take shelter in the state.
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Winners & losers
The results also give indications that the MNF is doing well in the border areas with Myanmar and Manipur while the ZPM is making stronger inroads in the urban areas, especially in Aizawl district and south Mizoram’s Lunglei district, where the ZPM won 11 seats out of 12 and four seats out of six respectively.
Thirty-two-year-old Baryl Vanneihsangi from the ZPM became Mizoram’s youngest woman MLA. She won from the Aizawl South-III constituency bagging 9,370 votes, defeating the MNF’s F. Lalrammawia by a margin of 1,414 votes.
“It is very hard for women to win elections in General seats, but today we have seen three women do so. It is a big day for women in Mizoram,” she said.
Lalthansanga, who defeated Zoramthanga in his constituency, said, “It is my best campaign performance since 1993…I thank all the people who voted ZPM and trust Lalduhoma to be the chief minister of Mizoram. I hope Mizoram will be better under the ZPM government.”
Prominent losers from the MNF-led government include Deputy CM Tawnluia, Health Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana, Power Minister R. Lalzirliana, Agriculture Minister C. Lalrinsanga, Revenue Minister Lalruatkima and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K. Lalrinliana.
Only two ministers — School Education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte and Minister of State for Sports and Youth Services Robert Romawia Royte — were re-elected to the assembly.
In other political parties, Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Lalsawta, BJP state unit president Vanlalhmuaka, and former assembly speaker Lalrinliana, who left the MNF to join the BJP, were all defeated.