Aizawl: Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and Hmar People’s Convention (Reformation), a faction of the HPC party, on Saturday formed an alliance to tie up in the upcoming assembly polls slated for November 7.
The pre-poll agreement was signed at the MNF office by MNF general secretary Lalmuanthanga Fanai on the party’s behalf and HPC (R) general secretary HT Vunga on HPC (R)’s behalf.
According to the agreement, the MNF and HPC (R) will work together in the upcoming assembly polls and the HPC(R) will extend full support and make massive efforts to ensure that MNF candidates in three Hmar-dominated constituencies within Sinlung Hills Council area -Tuivawl, Chalfilh and Serlui- are elected.
The MNF, if retains power, will take steps to implement the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) between the Mizoram government and the erstwhile underground Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) or HPC (D) signed in 2018.
The party will provide rehabilitation and other welfare benefits (jobs) to the families of Hmar martyrs, who lost their lives during insurgency and ex-cadres of HPC (D), the deal said.
The MNF will also provide a special package to develop Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) and the two parties will also tie up in the council polls to be held next year, it said.
Earlier in August, another HPC group headed by Rohringa had formed an electoral alliance with the main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) to work together in the coming assembly elections.
The HPC (now a political party) took up arms for around 5 years between 1989 and 1994 demanding an autonomous district council to be carved out of Hmar-dominated areas in the northeastern part of Mizoram adjoining Manipur.
The rebel outfit signed a peace accord with the erstwhile Congress government in 1994, which resulted in the birth of a development council for the Hmar people.
Unhappy with the development council, the HPC (D), an off-shoot of HPC, continued the insurgent movement till it signed an accord with the Mizoram government in April 2018.
The 2018 peace accord led to the birth of SHC for the Hmar people.
The council has 12 constituencies comprising 31 villages in Hmar dominated northeastern part of Mizoram and covers three assembly constituencies- Serlui, Tuivawl and Chalfilh.