List of chief ministers of Mizoram

Last updated

Chief Minister of Mizoram
Seal of Mizoram.svg
Flag of India.svg
Lalduhawma.jpg
Incumbent
Lalduhoma
since 8 December 2023
Style The Honourable (Formal)
Mr. Chief Minister (Informal)
Status Head of Government
AbbreviationCM
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
Formation3 May 1972
(52 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]

Contents

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

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

NoPortraitNameConstituencyTermAssembly
(Election)
Party
1 Chhunga.jpg C. Chhunga Kolasib 3 May 197210 May 19771st
(1972 election)
Mizo Union
Emblem of India (without motto).svg Vacant [a]
(President's rule)
N/A11 May 19771 June 1978N/A
2 Thenphunga.jpg T. Sailo Aizawl North2 June 197810 November 19782nd
(1978 election)
Mizoram People's Conference
Emblem of India (without motto).svg Vacant [a]
(President's rule)
N/A10 November 19788 May 1979N/A
(2) Thenphunga.jpg T. Sailo Aizawl North8 May 19794 May 19843rd
(1979 election)
Mizoram People's Conference
3 Lal Thanhawla.jpg Lal Thanhawla Serchhip 5 May 198420 August 19864th
(1984 election)
Indian National Congress

After Statehood

NoPortraitNameConstituencyTermAssembly
(Election)
Party
4 Laldenga.jpg Laldenga Aizawl North II 21 August 198619 February 1987 Interim Mizo National Front
20 February 19877 September 19885th
(1987 election)
Emblem of India (without motto).svg Vacant [a]
(President's rule)
N/A7 September 198824 January 1989N/A
(3) Lal Thanhawla.jpg Lal Thanhawla Serchhip 24 January 19897 December 19936th
(1989 election)
Indian National Congress
8 December 19933 December 19987th
(1993 election)
5 Zoramthanga in 2008.jpg Zoramthanga Champhai3 December 19984 December 20038th
(1998 election)
Mizo National Front
4 December 200311 December 20089th
(2003 election)
(3) Lal Thanhawla.jpg Lal Thanhawla Serchhip 11 December 200811 December 201310th
(2008 election)
Indian National Congress
12 December 201314 December 201811th
(2013 election)
(5) Zoramthanga in 2008.jpg Zoramthanga Aizawl East 1 15 December 20187 December 202312th
(2018 election)
Mizo National Front
6 Lalduhawma.jpg Lalduhoma Serchhip 8 December 2023Incumbent13th
(2023 election)
Zoram People's Movement

Statistics

List by chief minister

#Chief MinisterPartyTerm of office
Longest continuous termTotal duration of chief ministership
1 Lal Thanhawla INC 10 years, 3 days22 years, 58 days
2 Zoramthanga MNF 10 years, 8 days15 years, 0 days
3 T. Sailo MPC 4 years, 362 days5 years, 158 days
4 C. Chhunga MU 5 years, 7 days5 years, 7 days
5 Laldenga MNF 2 years, 17 days2 years, 17 days
6 Lalduhoma ZPM 1 year, 115 days1 year, 115 days
LalduhomaZoramthangaLaldengaLal ThanhawlaT. SailoCh. ChhungaList of chief ministers of Mizoram

Notes

Footnotes
  1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 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.