Lalduhoma: An IPS-turned-politician who reshaped Mizoram politics

He might not be a familiar name to those from outside Mizoram, but 74-year-old Lalduhoma has been a prominent figure in the northeastern state’s politics for close to four decades now. His party emphatic win in the assembly polls has ensured that the former Indian Police Service officer-turned-politician will become Mizoram’s next chief minister.

Born to a family of farmers at Tualpui village in Champhai district of Mizoram, Lalduhoma, the youngest of four siblings, completed his school education in Champhai before graduating from Gauhati University. He worked for five years in the then Mizoram chief minister’s office and was selected for the IPS in 1977.

Lalduhoma was in charge of former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s security in 1982 before he quit active service and joined the Congress. He was elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha in 1984 on a Congress ticket. But he earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in November 1988 after he resigned from the Congress.

Soon, he became active in state politics and involved himself in efforts to end the two-decade-old insurgency in Mizoram that was spearheaded by the Mizo National Front (MNF). After the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986, Lalduhoma briefly joined the party as an advisor before forming the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) which was later renamed as Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) in 1997.

In 2003, he won the assembly polls as a ZNP candidate. Lalduhoma’s party joined the six-party coalition to form Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) in 2017, a year ahead of the last assembly elections. Despite not getting recognised by the Election Commission of India, ZPM put up candidates as Independents from most constituencies, and sprang a surprise by winning 8 seats, with himself winning in two.

Two years later, he became the first legislator in Mizoram to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in 2020 for his association with ZPM (which had by then got the ECI recognition) despite being an Independent MLA. He contested the bye-elections in 2021 from Serchhip and won as a ZPM candidate.

A devout Christian, Lalduhoma’s vast experience both as a police officer and politician across various parties is expected to be very handy in his new role.