Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister and ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga on Tuesday reiterated that his party will retain power in the next assembly polls.
Elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly are due later this year.
“Our arch-rival Congress has declined and the number of constituencies it can win is very sparse. Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), on the other hand, can no longer use its previous planks. So, there is no gainsaying that MNF will retain power in the next assembly polls,” Zoramthanga said while addressing the party block conference at Assam border Kolasib town.
The MNF has 28 members, while the main opposition party ZPM has 6, Congress has 5 and the BJP has one member in the Mizoram Assembly.
Last month, Zoramthanga had said his party would win the next assembly polls as they have 27 efficient MLAs (excluding him) constantly monitoring and taking care of their respective constituencies.
He also claimed that the MNF would win the first Lunglei Municipal Council (LMC) polls on Wednesday.
The three-time CM said his government has been making efforts to usher in developments despite many hurdles.
He said the MNF, during its previous rule (1998-2008), experienced a famine triggered by bamboo flowering. The present government has also been plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, among other problems.
“Despite all these hurdles, the government has been making efforts for the welfare of the people and was able to distribute financial assistance under Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP),” Zoramthanga said, adding that the SEDP assistance will continue to be distributed.
The SEDP is the state government’s flagship programme, which aims at bringing sustainable development by accelerating progress in key sectors through exploration and judicious use of resources and maintaining equality and equity among the citizens.
During fiscal 2022-23, the government provided financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each to 60,000 beneficiaries.
Out of Rs 595 crore allocated for the implementation of SEDP in the 2023-24 fiscal, Rs 300 crore was earmarked for family-oriented programmes or financial assistance.
Zoramthanga further claimed that his government has been taking sincere measures to protect the state’s territorial integrity and extend help to Mizo communities living even outside the country.
He said that Mizoram did not lose even a single policeman and retreated from the border area during the border dispute with neighbouring Assam.
“They (Assam) urged us to withdraw. But they stopped asking when I told them that I must resign first if we are to retreat from the border. In the assembly, we also passed a resolution to extend humanitarian aid to our Mizo ethnic refugees despite the Centre’s directive to push them back to their countries,” the former rebel leader turned politician said.
More than 30,000 refugees from Myanmar and over 500 people from Bangladesh are taking shelter in Mizoram. The northeastern state shares a 510-km-long international border with Myanmar and 318-km border with Bangladesh.
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