Mizoram's ZPM to move court if its MLAs are disqualified

The Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) on Wednesday said the party will fight legal battles if its seven MLAs in the Mizoram Assembly are disqualified under the Anti-Defection Law.

Speaking to reporters, party leader in the House, Lalduhoma, said the ZPM candidates had to fight as independents in the Assembly elections in November last year as it was not registered as a political party then.

Lalduhoma said Assembly Speaker Lalrinliana Sailo had recently warned the party MLAs of facing disqualification if they continue holding positions in the ZPM or any other political parties as they had won as independent candidates to the 40-member House.

"Candidates of ZPM fought on a single symbol as it was a political entity during the elections but "real" independent candidates fight on different symbols," he said.

ZPM, originally a coalition of smaller parties, was accorded the status of a single political party by the Election Commission of India on July 8.

Lalduhoma asserted the party will win the legal battles as the party legislators have "technically never defected".

"Two candidates of MNF (Democrats), a breakaway faction of Mizo National Front (MNF), and eight candidates of Mizoram Janata Dal (MJD) had won in the 1989 state Assembly elections and formed the state government with the Congress but were never disqualified," he said.

The ZPM leader said he was the first Lok Sabha MP to be disqualified under the Anti-Defection Law when it was enacted in 1985.

He said the spirit of the legislation is to prevent horse-trading and ensure stable governments.