A regional party in Mizoram has returned the leftover money from its election campaign fund to its candidates and others who had contributed ahead of the November 7 polls.
The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) said it has not set a precedent with this gesture but revived a cultural practice of the Mizo people that was lost during the reigns of the Mizo National Front (MNF) and Congress.
On November 27, the Chanmari and Hunthar units of the ZPM returned ₹7,000 and ₹59,000 to K. Sapdanga, the party’s candidate who contested the Aizawl West III Assembly constituency. Chanmari and Hunthar are localities in the State’s capital Aizawl and fall within this constituency, one of 40 in Mizoram.
“These are not the only units that have returned the money not spent during our campaigning. Many such units did this as part of the new system we have promised the people if we are elected,” the ZPM’s chief ministerial candidate and former IPS officer Lalduhoma said.
“Just as charity begins at home, any system must start from within. This was the reason why all our units strived to become self-sufficient by doing menial jobs, selling vegetables, and all other activities to earn money legally,” he said.
Mr. Lalduhoma slammed the MNF and Congress for destroying the Mizo culture of self-sufficiency. “We revived this culture and as we did not spend much during the campaign, we are in a position to return the unspent amount to the contributors to the campaign fund,” he said.
The ZPM was formed loosely ahead of the 2018 Assembly election in Mizoram after the merger of some regional parties. It became the second-largest party in the 40-member House by winning eight seats, although all the MLAs contested as independents.
The ZPM was billed as the strongest challenger to the ruling MNF in the single-phase Assembly elections held on November 7. The counting of votes is on December 3.
