Who is ex-IPS officer Lalduhoma, Mizoram's new chief minister?
What's the story
Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) chief Lalduhoma officially took oath as the new chief minister of Mizoram on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony took place in Aizawl at around 11:00am. State Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lalduhoma at the Raj Bhavan complex. Several other ZPM leaders also took oaths as ministers during the ceremony. But who is Lalduhoma, the first CM who is not a member of the Mizo National Front (MNF) or the Congress?
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Visuals of Lalduhoma taking oath as Mizoram CM
#WATCH | Aizawl, Mizoram: Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma takes oath as the Chief Minister of Mizoram as the swearing-in ceremony begins pic.twitter.com/oCMbU2xVSf
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2023
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Know about Lalduhoma, new chief minister of Mizoram
The new Mizoram CM previously served as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, posted in Goa. Later, Lalduhoma was transferred to New Delhi and became the security-in-charge of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The 71-year-old eventually got into politics and won as an MP from Mizoram, representing the Congress, in 1984. He later founded the Mizo National Front (Nationalist), which was later renamed the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) in 1997.
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Controversies surrounding Lalduhoma
After being elected as an MP in 1984, the ZPM chief's political career took an unfavorable turn in 1988 when he became the first politician to be disqualified under the anti-defection law. Almost 20 years later, Lalduhoma was again disqualified as a member of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly for breaching the anti-defection law in 2020. However, he won the by-poll from the state's Serchhip seat in 2021.
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ZPM's record win in Mizoram assembly polls
During the recently conducted state assembly polls in Mizoram, the ZPM emerged victorious, dethroning the sitting MNF government. In the run-up to the elections, the ZPM and Lalduhoma focused their election campaigns primarily on decades of anti-incumbency against the Congress and former chief minister Zoramthanga's MNF. While the Lalduhoma-led party bagged 27 out of the 40 seats, the MNF managed to win just 10. The northeastern state can have up to 12 ministers, including the chief minister.