With counting of votes underway in Mizoram, all eyes are on the performance of the 74-year-old ex-IPS officer Lalduhoma and his party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). The party is comfortably ahead of Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s Mizo National Front (MNF) led by and is on its way to unseat the ruling side.
The India Today Axis-My India exit poll predicted a clean sweep by the ZPM in Mizoram and projected it to secure 28-35 seats in the 40-member state assembly.
It also predicted Chief Minister Zoramthanga’s Mizo National Front (MNF) would get just 3-7 seats, while 2-4 seats for the Congress party, and 0-2 seats for the BJP.
Mizoram went into polls for the election of MLAs on 40 Assembly seats on November 7.
A 74-year-old patriarch of the Zoram People’s Movement, Lalduhoma initially started his career as an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and served in the coastal state of Goa.
He was then transferred to the national capital where he discharged his duties as in-charge of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security.
After coming out of service, he founded the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and made history by entering the Lok Sabha in 1984.
However, his political trajectory took a turn when he became the first MP to face disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Despite the setback, Lalduhoma continued to work in the northeastern state and made his presence.
In the last Assembly elections, he was chosen as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the ZNP-led Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) coalition.
He was also disqualified as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 2020 for breaching th
