Mizoram ruling ZPM accuses opposition of targeting CM Lalduhoma

Mizoram's ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) on September 25 accused opposition parties of focusing their political campaign on Chief Minister Lalduhoma instead of presenting their own policy agenda ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference at the ZPM office in Aizawl, newly appointed senior vice-president Dr Kenneth Chawngliana said the opposition was mounting an intense campaign against the functioning of the ZPM government, particularly targeting Lalduhoma.

Chawngliana claimed that the government had undertaken several development initiatives for the state and said opposition parties should instead formulate and announce their policies for the 2028 elections, allowing voters to assess their respective programmes.

He alleged that the opposition's current political approach was largely centred on criticising Lalduhoma and the ZPM government and reviving what he described as an "old style of politics".

The ZPM leader also urged opposition parties to refrain from what he termed false and fabricated allegations about the internal functioning of the ruling party.

His remarks came days after two senior members of the ZPM's Val Upa Council (VUC), the party's highest decision-making body, resigned amid reported differences over the party's functioning and the conduct of the chief minister.

Former VUC members Bualhranga and Rin Sanga resigned from the body on September 21, reportedly citing dissatisfaction with the party's functioning and Lalduhoma's conduct.

Chawngliana said the ZPM did not agree with their views and maintained that the VUC was an independent 11-member body whose functioning was not governed by political parties.

He claimed that criticism of the ruling party was instead strengthening unity within the ZPM and appealed to party workers not to be provoked by what he called unsubstantiated allegations or engage in offensive language on social media.

With the next Mizoram Assembly election due in 2028, political parties are expected to step up their organisational and public outreach activities in the run-up to the polls.