Representative image of voting.
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Since Mizoram was carved out of Assam as a new state in 1987 after years of insurgency, Assembly elections in the small hilly northeastern state is expected to be a straight fight between two regional parties for the first time.
With Congress still grappling with leadership crisis after "retirement" of former CM and veteran leader Lal Thanhawla in 2021, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), a regional party led by a former IPS officer Lalduhoma has emerged as the main contender for the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), which seeks to retain power for the second straight term. Lal Thanhawla, who served as five-time CM, had convinced the party high command for "retirement" in November 2021.
In 2018, MNF, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had ousted Lal Thanhawla-led Congress, which was in power since 2008 and before. Zoramthanga-led MNF, which entered electoral politics after leading years of insurgency, was also in power thrice before. The fight then was between the MNF and Congress only.
The ZPM, which was part of a forum of a few other regional parties, however, surprised Congress in the 2018 Assembly elections when it bagged eight seats, while Congress was reduced to the third spot with only five seats. MNF won 26 seats with 37 per cent vote share. Congress' vote share, however, was second with nearly 30 per cent.
Zo Unification
Zoramthanga-led MNF is focussing more on its pet cause of "unification" of the Zo community, not only in Mizoram but also in the conflict-hit Manipur and Myanmar with which the state shares 500 km border. The MNF government has provided shelters to over 30,000 "refugees" belonging to the Chin Kukis in Myanmar (sharing ethnic ties with Mizos) and Bangladesh since 2021 and also to the Kukis displaced from Manipur. Zoramthanga's refusal to comply with Centre's directive to deport the Myanmar refugees and collect their biometrics, according to experts, hit the right chord of the Mizos and are likely to go in its favour in the elections. ZPM, which also focuses on the "Zo unity," however, is offering "a change for the better" against 84-year Zoramthanga's MNF.
Polling for the 40 member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled on November 7.