New Delhi: While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is dithering on naming its chief ministers in three states where the results of the assembly elections were out on December 3, Mizoram, which saw the counting of votes a day later, saw a new chief minister take oath today, December 8.

Lalduhoma, the founder of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), the regional party that has seized power from the Mizo National Front (MNF) in these elections, is the north-eastern state’s sixth chief minister since it became a Union territory and thereafter a state.

The party’s working president Sapdanga was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.

According to reports coming from Aizawl, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampti administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lalduhoma and his ministers. For a while, the venue was a toss up between the Raj Bhavan and the assembly annexe because since yesterday, the whole of the northeast has been experiencing rainfall.

This past December 7, the ZPM’s legislative party elected Lalduhoma as its leader, clearing the way thus for his swearing in today as the chief minister. On December 6, the ZPM’s advisory body, the Val Upa Council, met at Lalduhoma’s residence in Aizawl to discuss the formation of the new cabinet.

As per a Mizoram Post report, a majority of the six re-elected MLAs are likely to be named ministers today aside from some new names. “The assembly speaker’s post will be given to a first timer,” the report added.

In all, Mizoram can pick 12 ministers including the chief minister. 

ZPM’s rise to power in Mizoram in these elections was sealed by a spectacular win of 27 of the 40 assembly seats, which is one more than what MNF had bagged in the 2018 elections to wrest power from a two-time Congress government. 

Having increased its tally to two MLAs this time, the state BJP had expressed its willingness to join the new government. ZPM leadership has not relented to it yet. 

These elections, in all likelihood, would also bring an end to the long political career of the outgoing chief minister and MNF supremo, 79-year-old Zoramthanga. After the Congress’ defeat in the 2018 polls, the politician who was then the outgoing chief minister – Lal Thanhawla – who is also Mizoram’s longest serving chief minister if the years are counted cumulatively, had also hung up his boots.