AIZAWL, Oct 11 - Mizoram Opposition leader Lalduhoma today submitted an �explanation� to the Assembly Speaker in response to the petitions submitted by 12 ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislators to disqualify him.
The petitioners complained that despite being elected to the Assembly as an Independent, Lalduhoma had acted as the leader of a political party, Zoram People�s Movement, which warrants disqualification under the 10th Schedule to the Constitution of India, commonly known as the Anti-Defection Law.
Lalduhoma, in his explanation, stated that the Zoram People�s Movement was formed before the 2018 Assembly elections by merging two recognised parties � Mizoram People�s Conference and Zoram Nationalists� Party � and three other unrecognised parties.
The newly-floated Zoram People�s Movement nominated him as the Chief Ministerial candidate, he said, adding that he and all the other 37 ZPM nominees contested the elections as Independents but with a common symbol, flag, banner, manifesto and a common office.
�It is very clear that I am an official candidate set up by the nomination committee of ZPM party along with 37 candidates. It may be technically true that I contested the election as an Independent candidate because I had to file the nomination as an Independent candidate only because of the process of registration of ZPM as a political party under the provisions of Section 29A of Representation of the People Act, 1951 was not yet finalised at that time,� Lalduhoma stated.
Lalduhoma argued that he should not be weighed on the same scale with the real Independent candidates who were not set up by any political party.
Not denying that he participated in ZPM-sponsored functions, Lalduhoma stated that the ZPM is a party that sponsored him as a candidate, and in fact, it is only due to their support that he could become a member of the Legislative Assembly, and therefore, he has the moral obligations to the rank and file of the ZPM party. He, however, maintained that he has not enrolled himself as a member of any political party. �Mere participation in the functions of a political party does not amount to defection,� he stated.
He also pointed out that even the real Independent Assembly members have the right to support any political party even to the extent of joining the ministry, and that there have been such instances elsewhere in the country too.