AIZAWL: The Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) has accused Chief Minister Lalduhoma of funding the state election campaign of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) with financial assistance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing a rally in Saitual town, near Mizoram on Tuesday, MNF Chief Zoramthanga pointed fingers at the Chief Minister, claiming that Lalduhoma had sought support from Himanta Biswa Sarma, the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), prior to the elections, expressing a desire to align with the alliance.
“The ZPM suddenly got more money in its hand before the assembly polls because it had already sold itself to the BJP,” Zoramthanga asserted, as reported by a national news agency.
Adding weight to the allegations, Zoramthanga disclosed that ZPM had urged MNF to sever ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to ease its entry into the alliance.
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Lalduhoma had previously stated that his party is independence from any central alliances and had stressed on the importance of regional autonomy in decision-making.
Recently, tensions have escalated between the ZPM government in Mizoram and the Central government, primarily due to the latter’s decision to abolish the Free Movement Regime along the Myanmar border.
From the outset, the ZPM government has staunchly opposed this move, becoming the first among the Northeastern states, which share an international border with Myanmar, to pass a resolution in the Assembly against the abolition.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma had previously stressed on the limitations faced by a regional party in making independent decisions without aligning itself with the Centre.
