 "Cannabis, Ganja, drugs")
Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee leader Zodintluanga on Friday criticised the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) government for the prevalence of drug abuse in the northeastern state. This comes days after ZPM leader Lalduhoma also lambasted the MNF for the state's high drug abuse figures. Zodintluanga attributed the elevated number of drug users in the state to mismanagement by the MNF government.
Zodintluanga claimed that 47 Mizo youths had lost their lives due to drug use in 2023.
In a press conference, Zodintluanga stated that before the 2018 state Assembly elections, the MNF had promised the electorate that it would undertake initiatives to address Mizoram's drug problem. As its term nears its end, the MNF government has failed to take substantive steps to tackle the issue. He added that drug abuse had increased under the MNF's rule.
Earlier this month, Mizoram legislator KT Rokhaw, who won the Palak constituency on a Congress party ticket, resigned from the legislature. Rokhaw will again contest the Palak constituency, this time as an MNF candidate.
Zodintluanga questioned whether the MNF government was complicit in the drug trade and was profiting from it. He also raised concerns about the increasing number of drug seizures in the state.
On Wednesday, the MNF announced its candidate list for the 40-member assembly. Chief Minister Zoramthanga is set to run from Aizawl East-I, a seat he secured in the 2018 assembly elections. The MNF will contest in all 40 assembly constituencies.
The term of the Legislative Assembly of Mizoram ends on 17 December this year. Currently, the ruling MNF has 28 members, while the main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) has six MLAs, the Congress has five, and the BJP has one.
