Mizoram assembly elections: CM Lal Thanhawla eyes record third term

The stakes are high for Mizoram’s one of the tallest leader and Congress’s last chief minister standing in the northeast, Lal Thanhawla. On him lies the huge responsibility to fight arch rival BJP in its final frontier in the region and protect Congress’s last bastion. The five-time chief minister also has his sights on a personal record to set this election—an unprecedented third straight term as the chief minister. The man who has seen the fall and fall of his party in six of the seven northeast states around Mizoram, tells Prabin Kalita that he will continue to hold fort.

Mizoram is the last remaining Congress-ruled state in the state. Can you retain power?

Yes, I will. Congress has fallen in the northeastern region, state after state, but I have been holding fort so far and I will continue to hold the fort.

How many seats do you think Congress will win out of the 40 seats?

Nothing less than 30. We will form the government with the absolute majority again for the third term in a row.

So you are no confident of repeating the 2013 performance when Congress won 34 of 40 seats. Is it because of the any-incumbency factor?

Only the opposition parties are saying there is an anti-incumbency wave against Congress. The voters aren’t saying it and I prefer to go by what the voters are saying. People are happy with us and they will ensure our return again.

Few of your top ministers have left Congress and joined the opposition camp and it must have given a big blow to Congress.

Not at all. In fact, party workers are saying good riddance. All those who have left us already had disappointed the people with their corrupt deeds and our workers a bit nervous because of the damaging images of these deserters. Now they are relieved that the bad elements have left and I am telling you, their morale has received a big boost.

What was your biggest achievement in these five years?

There are many but, certainly the biggest is the New Land Use Policy. This is our flagship economic programme, by which we help farmers and working-class policy and it has transformed the face of the state. It has given the people a new lease of life. They have been economically uplifted. The state’s economy has enhanced greatly and Mizoram is among the top four states in terms of GSDP.

Your principle rival and predecessor Zoramthanga after party’s loss in 2013 election had said that the MNF lost to Congress because of the huge success and popularity of this land use policy.

That’s right. He’s going to say that again this time.

But, MNF’s main weapon against Congress this time is prohibition lifted by your government in 2015, which has caused so many death…

The lifting of the prohibition on liquor is another good thing, which I can I say, I have done. The deaths have nothing to do with a lifting of the prohibition. In fact, prior to the lifting of the ban, people were dying due to consumption of spurious liquor and that too illegally. And then there was drug abuse, which also caused many deaths. Earlier spurious liquor was flowing but, now you get good liquor. One should also keep in mind that the sale of liquor is controlled.

Who is your bigger rival this election…MNF or BJP?

They stand no chance against Congress. In fact, they are not two separate entities but have a secret understanding. If Zoramthanga wants to say that he doesn’t have any understanding with BJP, let him pull MNF out of NEDA and NDA and contest the election.

In the event of a hung assembly, would you be looking at any post-poll alliances?

No. I would prefer to sit in opposition then going into any kind of alliance.

How do you see the Bru voters living in Tripura wanting to vote from their relief camps?

Why should there be a special arrangement for them? There are no differences between Brus and Mizos. The genuine Bru voters should cast their votes from Mizoram like any other Mizos voting form within the state where they are registered as voters.

SB Shashank, your own chief electoral officer complained to Election Commission against your principal home secretary of interfering in the electoral process and then Mizoram plunged into a crisis with protests from the civil society…

It was a stark naked lie…there was no interference by the principal home secretary and see how the situation changed.