Aizawl : Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) supremo Lalduhoma, who was sworn in as the chief minister of Mizoram on Friday, scripted history by becoming the first first leader not belonging to either the Mizo National Front (MNF) or the Congress to hold that post
Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lalduhoma and 11 other ministers, including seven cabinet ranks and four state ministers, at a function at the Raj Bhavan complex here.
Lalrinpuii is the lone woman minister in the 12-member council of ministry. Seven of the 12 ministers are first-time winners.
The other ministers who took oath on Friday include, K. Sapdanga, Vanlalhlana, C. Lalsawivunga, Lalthansanga, Dr. Vanlalthlana, P.C. Vanlalruata, Lalrinpuii — all cabinet ministers rank, F. Rodingliana, B. Lalchhanzova, Prof. Lalnilawma and Lalnghinglova Hmar — all state ministers rank.
Former Chief Minister and MNF chief leader Zoramthanga, former Congress Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, newly elected MLAs and government officials witnessed the swearing-in ceremony.
On Monday, ZPM which was formed in 2017, and contested for the first time as a recognised political party, gave a crushing defeat to the MNF and the Congress, winning 27 seats in the 40-member Assembly.
Lalduhoma, who served as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security in-charge, resigned from the Indian Police Service in 1984 and joined the Congress and got elected as member of Lok Sabha from Mizoram.
In 1988, Lalduhoma became the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law after he resigned from the Congress.
Before the formation of the ZPM, he had been elected as MLA in 2003 from another party he had founded, the Zoram Nationalist Party.
Lalduhoma played active role in ending the insurgency in Mizoram, which paved the way for the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986.
He later formed Mizo National Front (Nationalist) which was later renamed to Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) in 1997. In 2003, he won the assembly polls as a ZNP candidate.
In 2017, Zoram Nationalist Party joined six-party coalition to form Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). In the 2018 Mizoram Assembly Elections, Lalduhoma got elected as an Independent MLA, as ZPM wasn’t recognised by the Election Commission of India(ECI) yet. In 2019, ZPM got recognised as a political party by the ECI. In 2020, Lalduhoma was disqualified as MLA under the anti-defection law.
In 2021, he contested the bye-elections as a ZPM candidate from Serchhip and won.
