Chief Minister of Mizoram

Chief Minister of Mizoram
Emblem of Mizoram
Flag of India
Incumbent Lalduhoma since 8 December 2023
Style	The Honourable (Formal) Mr. Chief Minister (Informal)
Status	Head of Government
Abbreviation	CM
Member of	Mizoram Legislative Assembly
Reports to	Governor of Mizoram
Appointer	Governor of Mizoram
Term length	At the confidence of the assembly Chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits. [1]
Inaugural holder	C. Chhunga
Formation	3 May 1972 (53 years ago) (1972-05-03)

The chief minister of Mizoram is the chief executive of the Indian state of Mizoram. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's de jure head, but de facto executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following elections to the Mizoram Legislative Assembly, the state's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats to form the government. The governor appoints the chief minister, whose council of ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Given that he has the confidence of the assembly, the chief minister's term is for five years and is subject to no term limits. ^[1]

Since 1972, five people from four parties have served as chief minister of Mizoram; the inaugural officeholder was Ch. Chhunga. Lal Thanhawla of the Indian National Congress has the longest incumbency of over 21 years in 5 terms. The current incumbent is Lalduhoma of the Zoram People's Movement who assumed office on 8 December 2023. ^[2]

History

Main articles: Mizo district and Union Territory of Mizoram

Before Indian independence, the Lushai Hills district and the subsequent Mizo district were ruled by a Superintendent of the Lushai Hills. After Indian independence, the democratic change in the administrative setup of Mizoram led to an anti-chief movement. The feeling was widespread against the autocratic chiefs and for the Mizo Union. In 1955, at a meeting of representatives of various Mizo villages held in Aizawl, the demand arose for a separate hills state. The local people felt they had been ill-served by the Assam Government during the Mautam famine.

When in 1960 the government introduced Assamese as the official language of the state, there were many protests against the Official Language Act of 1961. That was followed by the March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising, ^[3] resulting in attacks on the military installations in Aizawl, Lunglei and other towns. The Mizo National Front, formerly known as Mizo National Famine Front, declared independence from India.

The Indian government designated Mizoram as a union territory on 21 January 1972. Pu Laldenga, the president of the Mizo National Front, ^[4] signed a peace accord in 1986 with the Government of India, stating Mizoram was an integral part of India. Pu Laldenga came to the ministry in the interim government, which was formed in coalition with Congress in 1987. The statehood of Mizoram was proclaimed on 20 February 1987.

During UT period

No	Portrait	Name	Constituency	Term		Assembly (Election)	Party
1		C. Chhunga	Kolasib	3 May 1972	10 May 1977	1st (1972 election)	Mizo Union
–		Vacant [a] (President's rule)	N/A	11 May 1977	1 June 1978		N/A
2		T. Sailo	Aizawl North	2 June 1978	10 November 1978	2nd (1978 election)	Mizoram People's Conference
–		Vacant [a] (President's rule)	N/A	10 November 1978	8 May 1979		N/A
(2)		T. Sailo	Aizawl North	8 May 1979	4 May 1984	3rd (1979 election)	Mizoram People's Conference
3		Lal Thanhawla	Serchhip	5 May 1984	20 August 1986	4th (1984 election)	Indian National Congress

After Statehood

No	Portrait	Name	Constituency	Term		Assembly (Election)	Party
4		Laldenga	Aizawl North II	21 August 1986	19 February 1987	Interim	Mizo National Front
				20 February 1987	7 September 1988	5th (1987 election)
–		Vacant [a] (President's rule)	N/A	7 September 1988	24 January 1989	N/A
(3)		Lal Thanhawla	Serchhip	24 January 1989	7 December 1993	6th (1989 election)	Indian National Congress
				8 December 1993	3 December 1998	7th (1993 election)
5		Zoramthanga	Champhai	3 December 1998	4 December 2003	8th (1998 election)	Mizo National Front
				4 December 2003	11 December 2008	9th (2003 election)
(3)		Lal Thanhawla	Serchhip	11 December 2008	11 December 2013	10th (2008 election)	Indian National Congress
				12 December 2013	14 December 2018	11th (2013 election)
(5)		Zoramthanga	Aizawl East 1	15 December 2018	7 December 2023	12th (2018 election)	Mizo National Front
6		Lalduhoma	Serchhip	8 December 2023	Incumbent	13th (2023 election)	Zoram People's Movement

Statistics

List by chief minister

#	Chief Minister	Party		Term of office
				Longest continuous term	Total duration of chief ministership
1	Lal Thanhawla		INC	10 years, 3 days	22 years, 58 days
2	Zoramthanga		MNF	10 years, 8 days	15 years, 0 days
3	T. Sailo		MPC	4 years, 362 days	5 years, 158 days
4	C. Chhunga		MU	5 years, 7 days	5 years, 7 days
5	Laldenga		MNF	2 years, 17 days	2 years, 17 days
6	Lalduhoma		ZPM	1 year, 175 days	1 year, 175 days

See also

• List of governors of Mizoram
• List of chief secretaries of Mizoram
• List of superintendents of Mizoram

Notes

Footnotes

1. President's rule may be imposed when the "government in a state is not able to function as per the Constitution", which often happens because no party or coalition has a majority in the assembly. When President's rule is in force in a state, its council of ministers stands dissolved. The office of chief minister thus lies vacant, and the administration is taken over by the governor, who functions on behalf of the central government. At times, the legislative assembly also stands dissolved. ^[5]

References

1. Durga Das Basu. Introduction to the Constitution of India. 1960. 20th Edition, 2011 Reprint. pp. 241, 245. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. ISBN   978-81-8038-559-9. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Mizoram as well.
2. "ZPM's Lalduhoma to become Mizoram Chief Minister, take oath on Dec 8".
3. Joshi, Hargovindh (2005). Mizoram History Past and Present. Mittal Publications. pp. 11–. ISBN   978-81-7099-997-3.
4. Chatterjee, Suhas (1994). Making of Mizoram: Role of Laldenga. Vol. 1. New Delhi: M.D. Publications. p. 73. ISBN   978-81-85880-38-9.
5. Amberish K. Diwanji. "A dummy's guide to President's rule". Rediff.com. 15 March 2005.

External links

• Indian States since 1947