Confident of Victory, will not align with Congress, BJP: ZPM
Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) has said that it will maintain distance from the two national parties — Congress and BJP.
ZPM — second largest party in the state — is hoping to make it big in the November 7 polls to be held for the 40-member assembly. Showing confidence, 74-year-old ZPM president Lalduhoma, a police officer-turned-politician, told ET, «We are heading for a landslide victory.»
Attacking the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), he accused the party of having two faces, one in New Delhi and one in Mizoram. «MNF is part and parcel of the NDA and Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
It is very clear. That is why they lost their regionality, identity and have become diluted. They have lost their original sanctity as the Mizo Nationalist party.
ZPM is the only genuine regional party with a national outlook,» the ZPM chief said.
In the 2018 assembly polls, ZPM had won eight seats.
Recently, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had said BJP in northeast India is trying to grab power through regional parties. He said that ZPM and the MNF are well-known to everyone as they are the gateway for BJP to enter Mizoram.
Dismissing the allegations, the ZPM president said, «Congress is like a spent force here. Congress says it will form a coalition government with ZPM.
Seeing the situation, they cannot say that they will form a government on its own. So as long as MNF is a member of NDA, it is not possible for any other party from here to join the NDA.»
The ZPM president added, «We will not join any political formation at the national level. We do not want to be dictated from New Delhi.» He said, «BJP, at the most, will get not more than a couple of seats.
