Lalduhoma's Mizoram: The ZPM Government, Myanmar Refugees and the New Railway, Explained

In December 2023, Mizoram did something it had never done before: it rejected both the Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Congress, the two parties that had alternated in power since statehood. The winner was the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), led by former IPS officer Lalduhoma. Nearly three years on, his government is dealing with a humanitarian crisis on its border, a stretched budget, and a historic infrastructure milestone. Here is the picture.

The 60-second version

• Who rules: The ZPM, under CM Lalduhoma, since December 2023, after winning 27 of 40 seats.
• The big challenge: Tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar.
• The milestone: The Bairabi-Sairang railway brought the national rail network to Aizawl's doorstep in September 2025.
• The policy shift: The state has begun collecting biometrics of Myanmar nationals, after earlier refusing.
• Next election: Due in late 2028.

Who is Lalduhoma?

Lalduhoma was an IPS officer who served in the security detail of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi before entering politics. He later became an MP, and in 1988 became one of the first MPs to be disqualified under the anti-defection law. He built the ZPM as an anti-corruption, reformist alternative to Mizoram's established parties, and the 2023 result was a sweeping endorsement of that pitch.

The refugee question

Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, thousands of people, many of them Chin, who share deep ethnic and family ties with the Mizo people, have crossed into Mizoram. Mizoram has sheltered them despite the Centre's caution.

• The numbers: Home Minister K. Sapdanga told the assembly the state was sheltering 28,964 Myanmar refugees across 11 districts. Including refugees from Bangladesh and people displaced by the conflict in Manipur, official figures reach 38,059. Aid groups estimate the real number could be 50,000 to 60,000.
• The strain: In June 2026, Lalduhoma said the relentless flow of displaced people had become a burden on the small hill state, and the government has sought central help.
• Biometrics: In 2024, the government said it would not collect biometrics of refugees. It later began doing so, reportedly after Home Minister Amit Shah assured Lalduhoma that Myanmar nationals would not be forced to return until normalcy returned.
• Border fencing: Lalduhoma has said he cannot stop the Centre from fencing the India-Myanmar border, though fencing is unpopular among Mizos with families on both sides.

A railway to Aizawl

For decades, Mizoram was one of the least connected states in India. The Bairabi-Sairang line, opened in September 2025, changed that by connecting Sairang, near Aizawl, to the national rail network. The government hopes it will lower the cost of goods, help farmers reach markets, and support its push to grow tourism around Mizoram's culture, adventure and nature.

What to watch next

1. Refugee funding. Whether the Centre provides dedicated assistance.
2. Myanmar's conflict. Any change across the border directly affects Mizoram.
3. Economic gains from rail. Whether freight and tourism grow as hoped.
4. The ZPM's reform promise. Voters elected Lalduhoma to clean up governance; the 2028 election will judge that.

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This article is based on official statements, assembly figures and public reporting.