Mizoram: MPC, PRISM merge to become People’s Conference Party

Aizawl: Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) and People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) on Tuesday have formally merged into a single party. The new party has been named as People’s Conference Party.

During the merger agreement signed at the MPC office here, MPC president Lalhmangaiha Sailo was declared the president of the new party while PRISM president Vanlalruat was named senior vice president in a special portfolio arrangement.

V Lalthazuala and Lalrinzuala Chawngthu were declared vice presidents while SL Ngursailova Sailo was appointed as treasurer of the newly floated party.

Speaking on the occasion, Lalhmangaiha Sailo while expressing happiness over the merger said his new party would try its best to serve the state and fulfill the aspirations of the people.

He urged the people to cast their votes based on party policies and candidate keeping in mind which party policy can bring development to the state.

Sailo also blamed the Mizo National Front (MNF) flagship programme Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP) and Congress’s New Land Use Policy (NLUP).

Vanlalruata also blamed the state government for collecting fees from Covid-19 patients for treatment and sample tests.

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History of MPC

MPC was one of the oldest regional parties in Mizoram formed by former state chief minister T Sailo in 1975.

The party won the state assembly polls in 1978 and its president T Sailo became chief minister for six months until the Union Territory was declared under President’s rule.

In the next elections held in 1979, the party retained majority and once again Sailo became the chief minister and served his full term till 1984.

The party lost to Congress led by former state chief minister Lal Thanhawla in 1984 assembly polls.

For the next two decades MPC had remained as the main opposition in Mizoram.

However, the party received a setback from 1998 assembly polls. In 1998, the party won 12 seats in the 40-member assembly, 3 seats in 2003, the number which was reduced to 2 in 2008 and 1 in 2013.

The MPC failed to make much impact in Mizoram politics after its founder president Sailo died in 2015.

PRISM – backgroud

PRISM initially functioned as an anti-corruption watchdog.

The organisation was registered as a political party in 2018 and had contested the last assembly polls (2018) but won no seats.

The party nominated former sailor TBC Lalvenchhunga in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and lost to ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) nominee C Lalrosanga.

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