Mizoram Polls 2023: ZPM most diluted, polluted party, it is ‘khichdi’: CM Zoramthanga ahead of polls

With barely a week to go for the Mizoram polls, Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on opposition party ZPM also considered to be its main rival. The three-time CM who is confident of a second consecutive term in office said that the ZPM is ‘khichdi’ (meaning a mixuture of things) and termed the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) as the most ‘diluted and polluted’ party in terms of its ideology.
“ZPM has the most diluted ideology. Since 1986, they have changed the system of their party calling it the new system. They changed it over 10 times. In MNF we are standing on our ideology since 1961. In these 62 years, not even a single dilution. Whenever any issue tries to trespass our ideology we oppose it, for e.g. the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). So if there is any party who diluted their ideology and intention for more than 7-8 times, it is the ZPM. They are the most polluted and diluted, not the MNF,” CM Zoramthanga said briefing the media today for the first time ahead of the Assembly polls that will take place on November 7.

Asked if ZPM is its strongest rival, the CM said that ZPM is next to MNF but because of their mixed ideology, because their organisation is ‘khichdi’ and the fact that they have just registered with the Election Commission as a political party, they are now a new party.
Asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet visited the poll-bound state, the CM said, “Prime Minister Modi is a very busy man. At the time of election, instead of he himself coming he is sending his important ministers because there are many other big states where he has to campaign. Maybe he has his own reasons why he did not come to Mizoram. Even if he comes to Mizoram he is not going to campaign for MNF. He is going to campaign for BJP. He has sent Gadkari (Union Minister Nitin Gadkari), Barla (Union Minister of State John Barla), Rijiju (Union Minister Kiren Rijiju) etc etc. Maybe he is satisfied that no need to go to Mizoram”.

Exuding confidence of another grand victory yet again, the CM said that MNF would win 25 plus seats this time. Last assembly elections in 2018, MNF won 27 seats of the total 40 Assembly seats.
“We hope that we shall be able to form the government. From all the reports that I have seen, we believe that we shall be able to form the government. We need 21 seats to form the government, it is my expectation that at least we will go upto 25 and even more,” CM Zoramthanga who is looking at coming close to becoming the longest-serving CM of Mizoram by becoming CM for the fourth time said.
Zoramthanga has been the CM of Mizoram in 1998, 2008 and 2018. Till date Congress’s Lal Thanhawlal is the longest-serving CM of Mizoram with five terms in office.

Taking BJP head-on and reacting to BJP’s statement that if voted to power they would set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in MNF’s flagship welfare scheme, Socio-Economic Development Program (SEDP), CM Zoramthanga said “If they come to power they can do anything. They take down the stars and the moons, if they come to power they may promise anything. But if they want to do an investigation, let them do it. And I don’t think that they will do it. Because once they know that it is well recorded about the benefits to the beneficiaries, we gave them Rs 25,000 at one go and then another Rs 25, 000, there is no pilferage or any other thing. We put the money in their own account.”

Asked if BJP’s poll promise to set up SIT to probe MNF’s SEDP has turned MNF’s relation with the Saffron Party sour, CM Zoramthanga said that the MNF’s support to the NDA is issue-based and if anything goes against the interests of the Mizos, the MNF would oppose it tooth and nail.
CM Zoramthanga said, “BJP they may have a different principle, we have a different principle, but we are under the one administration of the country, all of us have to go upholding the Constitution of India. Our support to the NDA is issue-based. If the issue that they are going to take up is against the interest of the Mizo people we oppose it. They are in Delhi, we try to help them and we need help. I am one of the founding members of NDA, before the present NDA leaders are there, I was already there with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and all of them.”

Also Read: Mizoram Polls 2023: Cong’s big claim BJP-ZPM has a pact, have decided Dy CM