Lalduhoma stakes claim to form new government in Mizoram

Last updated Dec 6, 2023

Aizawl, Dec 6 (UNI)- Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma on Wednesday met Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at Raj Bhavan here and formally staked his claim to form the next government in the state.

Kambhampati later appointed Lalduhoma as the next Chief Minister and asked to form the government. Lalduhoma was accompanied by ZPM working president K. Sapdanga and former deputy speaker of the state legislature Vanlalhlana.

Sapdanga, a journalist-turned politician is likely to be inducted as Deputy Chief Minister. However, Sapdanga chose to remain silent on the matter.

The ZPM won a landslide victory in the just concluded election to the 40-member state legislative assembly by bagging 27 seats. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) managed to secure 10 seats while the BJP and the Congress got 2 and 1 seats respectively.

While the saffron party, which had opened its first account in 2018 assembly polls, now increased its account to two, the Congress dismal performance in the just concluded election showed that both the MNF and the BJP have eroded the stronghold of the grand old party.

Newly ZPM legislators held a meeting in Aizawl on Tuesday night and elected Lalduhoma as leader of the legislature party and Sapdanga and deputy leader. The ZPM Ministry headed by Lalduhoma will be sworn-in on Friday at 11 AM at the circular lawn of Aizawl Raj Bhavan. Kambhampati Haribabu will administer the oath of office to the new Chief Minister and other ministers.

Pro-tem speaker will be elected on the spot after the swearing-in ceremony and the first sitting of the 9th Mizoram Assembly will be held on Tuesday (December 12) when the newly-elected legislators will take oaths administered by the pro-tem speaker.

Talking to reporters, Lalduhoma said that the new government will stop all payments under the Socio-Economic Development (SEDP), the flagship programme of the MNF. He said that the new government will stop all populist programmes and freebies.

The CM-designate said that the present healthcare scheme will be scrapped and a new scheme will be drafted. As the people want corruption free leaders, the ZPM will try to bring a clean government, he said.

On the issue of refugees and internally displaced people taking shelter in the state, he said that more attention should be given to over 10,000 IDPs of Manipur taking refuge in Mizoram. “I have spoken to the Union Home Minister about the issue and I will soon go to Delhi to hold talks with the central government,” Lalduhoma said.

He said that the ZPM will form its own government without forging post-poll alliance with any political parties. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and others alleged before the election that the ZPM was having secret poll pact with the BJP.