Zoram People's Movement leader and the party's chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma said the ZPM will not join the BJP-led NDA or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc if it comes to power in Mizoram in the coming assembly polls.

He said his party will maintain its identity as an independent regional party free from Delhi's control.

"We will not join any group at the national level even if we come to power. We want to maintain our prestige and remain as an independent regional party, which is free from Delhi control," the 73-year-old ZPM leader told PTI.

"We don't want to be under the control of Delhi", he said.

Lalduhoma, however, said that the ZPM will maintain cordial relations with the Centre.

"We will maintain good relations with the government at the Centre. If it is reasonable, we will support it or oppose it," he told PTI.

The ZPM was formed in 2017 by two political parties and five groups. Capitalising on non-Congress, non-MNF government slogan, the party emerged as the main opposition party in the state winning eight seats in the last assembly polls in 2018 thereby relegating Congress to the third position.

With its new system of governance policy, the ZPM, a relatively young party, just five years old, is confident of sweeping the assembly polls and hoping to end the decades-old bipolar politics in the state, Lalduhoma claimed.

For around 36 years after Mizoram attained the status of a full-fledged state in 1987, the northeastern state has witnessed power being oscillated between two parties - Congress and Mizo National Front.

Lalduhoma claimed that his party is confident of winning the upcoming assembly polls but refused to give the exact figure of seats they will win.

He said that people have "lost faith" in MNF and Congress and want a change.

"We are confident of sweeping the polls with a thumping majority. People are anxious to see a new system of governance. We want positive votes. We want people to vote for us not because they have become sick of MNF and Congress but for a change," the former Indian Police Service officer said, adding that he wanted people to test them.

Mizoram Assembly elections will be held on November 7.

The ZPM has preached a change and a new system of governance, which the party claimed, was not seen in the previous governments.

Under the new system, the party advocated for the participation of people in the governance system and development process (people's government), decentralisation of power, corruption-free government, hand-holding policy for household families, disinvestment and austerity measures, among others.

Lalduhoma said that the ZPM, if it comes to power, will follow decentralisation of power and will set up committees from state to village levels involving NGOs, churches and other organisations which represent the people, to monitor development.

He said that the party will also take austerity measures to overcome financial constraints and all ministers and legislators will also cut down various facilities entitled to them.

Lalduhoma slammed the MNF government headed by chief minister Zoramthanga for the manner it handled the refugees, which he said was "non-satisfactory".

The ZPM gave due concern to Zo ethnic people, who fled from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur and will give better treatment than the present government if it comes to power, he said.

Lalduhoma claimed that the Manipur factor will rather affect the prospect of the MNF, which is an ally of the BJP than help it in the upcoming elections because the BJP has "failed" in handling the Manipur situation.

Mizoram currently provides shelter to 32,492 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and 11,991 internally displaced people from Manipur, according to the state Home department.

Lalduhoma joined Congress after he left his job as an IPS officer in 1984. The same year he contested the Lok Sabha polls on Congress ticket and was elected unopposed.

Apart from joining different political parties, including the Mizo National Front (MNF), Lalduhoma also floated his own parties, including the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP).

Before the 2018 assembly polls, Lalduhoma had successfully contested the assembly polls for two times from the Ratu seat in 2003 and the Aizawl West-I seat in 2008.

In the last assembly polls, he won from two seats. He defeated five-time chief minister Lal Thanhawla from the Serchhip seat by a margin of 410 votes.

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