Lalduhoma, who comes from a poor family, excelled in academics and began his career as a principal assistant in the CM’s office in 1972. He cleared the civil services exam five years later and became an IPS officer; joining PM Indira Gandhi’s security team in i982. His political career began in 1984 as he joined Congress and was elected to Lok Sabha.

Long before “Who is Lalduhoma”? showed up on search engines, the 74-year-old former IPS officer of the 1977 batch was already a household name in Mizoram. Those outside the state who had heard the name before would have remembered him as the country’s first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law, and then again as an MLA.

On Monday, after orchestrating the biggest upheaval in the Christian-majority North—Eastern state’s politics, Lalduhoma had the air of someone who knew his time to be known for the right reasons would come. “I have been struggling all these years for this moment.”

Born in Tuaipui village of Champhai district, bordering Myanmar; education was Lalduhoma’s escape from poverty. He excelled in academics. He was known for his dedication and concern for people’s problems.

Lalduhoma simultaneously enrolled at Gauhati University, graduating with distinction and going to clear the civil services exam five years later. As an IPS posted in Goa, he was ruthless against the drug mafia, building a reputation strong enough to impress the then PM Indira Gandhi into getting him transferred to New Delhi in 1982 and making him a part of her security detail. At India’s behest, Lalduhoma helped bring insurgent leader Laldenga’s Mizo National Front to the negotiating table.

He later joined Delhi Police as an additional DC on Rajiv Gandhi’s recommendation. Lalduhoma remained in police service till 1984.

In 1984, he joined Congress and was elected unopposed as Mizoram’s MP. He would resign from the party four years later; inviting disqualification as an MP.

Lalduhoma returned home and formed Mizoram Congress for peace, which he rechristened Mizo National Union (MNU) in 1986. The party’s foray into electoral politics the next year was a disaster as it failed to win even a single seat.

MNU merged with another small entity to create the Democratic Party, only to split soon after. Lalduhoma then joined MNF, which he quit in 1997 after being defeated by Zoramthanga in the race for the party president.

He then formed MNF (Nationalist), which metamorphosed into Zoram National Party (ZNP). In 2018, he led a new combination called Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) to victories in eight assembly seats. In the latest assembly polls, his ZPM got 27 seats out of the total of 40 seats getting absolute majority. After more than three decades, he finally emerged as the chief minister of the state which he knows so well. (IPA Service)