GUWAHATI: Mizoram's Independent MLA Lalduhoma was disqualified by Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo on Friday for "losing the character of an independent legislator".
Interestingly, he had met a similar fate 32 years ago when he was serving as an MP. Based on a report of the Privileges Committee, the IPS officer-turned-politician was disqualified in 1988 for giving up the membership of his parent party Congress (I). He is, perhaps, the only politician in the country to have suffered disqualification both as an MP and an MLA.
The 71-year-old was disqualified as an MLA on the grounds that he had declared himself as a representative of the political party Zoram People's Movement (ZPM). He was elected as an Independent from the Serchhip constituency in the 2018 elections.
"He was elected as an Independent MLA but he lost that character because of the declaration," the Speaker said.
In September, the Speaker had received a petition from a group of 12 ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislators who demanded the MLA’s disqualification as he allegedly breached Para 2(2) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution by “defecting” to the ZPM. They alleged he not only indulged in the ZPM’s activities but also inducted people into the party across the state. They said through such acts, Lalduhoma demonstrated his defection to the regional party.
Later, replying to a show-cause notice served by the Assembly, he denied defection. He wrote about his continuous allegiance to the party since its birth in 2017 ahead of the 2018 polls.
Lalduhoma had joined the Indian Police Service in 1977 and served as the in-charge of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s security. He had quit his job in 1984 and joined the Congress. He got elected to the Parliament the same year.
In due course, he had formed the Mizo National Union, which later merged with the Mizoram People’s Conference, but left it to form the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP). He was elected as an MLA in 2003. Following his victory in the 2018 election, he started leading the ZPM which was formed by the ZNP and five other regional parties.