The rise of a relatively new player, Zoram’s People Movement (ZPM), in Mizoram politics is set to turn the upcoming Assembly polls into a three-cornered contest. The ZPM seems to be changing the political landscape of the state which has traditionally seen an electoral battle between the Mizo National Front (MNF) – the current incumbent led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga – and the Congress. While several smaller parties of the state, such as the Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) and Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), have been in the poll fray in the past, none has ever posed a significant challenge to the two dominant parties until the emergence of the ZPM a few years ago. "Since India’s Independence, Mizoram has always seen a two-party contest. During the days of the Mizoram district council elections in the early 1950s, the fight was between Mizoram’s first political party, the Mizo Union (formed in 1946) and the United Mizo Freedom Organisation (formed in 1947). Once Mizoram became a Union Territory in 1972, this tradition continued and the contest was now between the Mizo Union and the Congress and when the two parties merged, between the Congress and the Mizoram People’s Conference. This in turn continued as a fight between the Congress and the Mizo National Front once Mizoram gained statehood," said Prof Jangkhongam Doungel, a political science professor of Mizoram University. When Mizoram became a state in 1987, the MNF formed the government for the first time, but it failed to last a full term paving the way for a Congress government in 1989. Each of the two parties have since ruled the state for two terms so far, with the Congress being trounced by the MNF in the 2018 polls. "Since the last Assembly election when the ZPM captured eight seats, it has gained ground by winning some of the local municipal elections. It (ZPM) has now emerged as the main Opposition party, leaving behind the Congress," said Prof Doungel. The ZPM’s nominees had contested as Independent candidates in the 2018 elections. Led by Lalduhoma, the ZPM has been looking to emerge as a key pole in Mizoram politics, disrupting its two-party electoral equation on the lines of what the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did in Delhi in the 2013 polls. The coming together of two recognised political parties (ZMP and MPC) and six other outfits, including civil society organisations, led to the formation of the ZPM in 2017 in the run-up to the 2018 polls. The ZPM's Aizawl North MLA and one of its founding members, Vanlalthlana, a college professor, says that most of the party's members as well as poll candidates have been drawn from civil society. Vanlalthlana says, "There are professors and retired bureaucrats and even one popular singer, who are in the mix. The traditional way of electoral politics is changing in Mizoram with the increased penetration of the internet. Especially since the pandemic, when we were all locked in and the internet started playing a more important role in our lives. The people of Mizoram began to see how much other states in the country are progressing compared to us." He also says, “According to a survey of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as far as road infrastructure in concerned, Mizoram holds last position among states. Even in education, another such report has found that Mizoram is second last. The MNF and Congress have been ruling for 35 years. The MNF has done its best, but for the state to move forward, there needs to be a change.” The ZPM’s agenda is essentially different from the MNF’s plank. While the MNF talks of development, its key electoral issue is centred on the Mizo nationalism and the age-old concept of "Zo-unification" or unification of all Zo tribes. The support and shelter given by the Zoramthanga government to refugees fleeing strife in Myanmar and to the internally displaced people from Manipur roiled by ethnic clashes, has only reinforced this position. Vanlalthlana points out that the issue of "Zo-brotherhood" is a "Mizo issue" which is important for all political parties in the state. "Irrespective of the government that comes to power, there will be no change in stance or policy as far as refugees or Manipur is concerned. What we do know is that ZPM is making major gains among the youth of Mizoram, who are quickly becoming our biggest vote base. The electoral lethargy among the youth is also declining, and we expect more youth to come out and vote in the elections," he says. The ZPM's focus on the youth is also reflected in the party's selection of candidates for the Assembly polls slated for this year-end, with 15 of its 39 candidates named so far being under 50 years. Observers note that the vote shares of both the MNF and the Congress have traditionally ranged between 20 and 30 per cent. ``A large section of the Mizo voters are neutral voters with no party allegiance. This is the voter that the ZPM will try to reach,’’ said an analyst. Doungel said that so far, the ZPM has eaten into the Congress votes and not the MNF. "While the ZPM may have captured the imagination of many in Aizawl, the MNF remains strong in the rural areas. The only way that the ZPM can replace the incumbent is if it makes inroads into the rural belt," he added.
