Mizoram’s main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) working president K. Sapdanga on Friday said his party may work in the line of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kerijwal to usher in development and political change in the state.
“We can do what Arvind Kerijwal did for the people of Delhi. We are willing to imitate his action and determined to work on his line for the development of Mizoram if the people allow us to do so,” the leader said while addressing a party meeting at Bairabi town in Kolasib district.
He said that almost all leaders, as well as party workers of ZPM, are politically inexperienced.
Even the party nominee for the upcoming Tuirial bypoll Laltlanmawia has no political background and is a novice, he said.
“Our state has been under the rule of veteran and highly experienced politicians and leaders for about 40 years now. But they failed to resolve our state boundary with neighbouring states and what we saw in the past 40 years is that people are being impoverished increasingly,” he said, adding that the ZPM, which is formed by politically inexperienced people try to establish a government shaped by fearlessness.
The ZPM was initially formed as an electoral alliance by several minor parties, including Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) headed by Lalduhoma and Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) headed by a former state chief minister T. Sailo’s son Lalhmangaiha Sailo in 2017.
Later, the alliance was converted into a single party and obtained party registration from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in July 2019.
However, MPC had pulled out of the alliance after the last assembly poll in November 2018 to be merged with People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM).
Sapdanga claimed that the party now has at least 55 blocks and 736 units across the state.
The party had contested 2018 assembly polls as independent and won 8 seats with party chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma winning two seats- Serchhip and Aizawl West-I.
Later, he vacated Aizawl West –I to retain Serchhip.
Lalduhoma was disqualified under the anti-defection law in November last year, but retained his seat in a bypoll held in April this year inflicting a humiliating defeat on the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) nominee Vanlalzawma.
The by-poll to Tuirial assembly seat necessitated by the demise of incumbent MLA Andrew H. Thangliana of ZPM is due on October 30.