Mizoram: T Sailo's MPC merges with PRISM to form People's Conference Party

The new entity has been named People's Conference Party. MPC president Lalhmangaiha Sailo was declared the president of the new party while PRISM president Vanlalruata was named the senior vice president in a special portfolio arrangement. It was initially called the People's Conference. The party won the state assembly polls in 1978 at a time when Mizoram was a Union Territory and T Sailo became the chief minister.

The four-decades-old Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) merged with the newly-floated People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party on Tuesday to form a new outfit. The new entity has been named People's Conference Party.

MPC president Lalhmangaiha Sailo was declared the president of the new party while PRISM president Vanlalruata was named the senior vice president in a special portfolio arrangement. Both the parties agreed to the merger following several rounds of talks, Vanlalruata told PTI.

V Lalthazuala and Lalrinzuala Chawngthu were named vice presidents, while SL Ngursailova Sailo was appointed as the treasurer of the newly-formed party. Expressing happiness over the merger, Lalhmangaiha Sailo said his new party would do its best to serve the state and fulfill the aspirations of the people.

He urged the people to cast their votes based on policies and candidates, keeping in mind which party can bring development to the state. Sailo attacked both the MNF and the Congress.

Vanlalruata criticised the MNF government for charging COVID-19 patients for treatment and tests. The MPC is one of the oldest regional parties in Mizoram formed by former chief minister T Sailo in 1975. It was initially called the People's Conference.

The party won the state assembly polls in 1978 at a time when Mizoram was a Union Territory and T Sailo became the chief minister. He became the second chief minister of Mizoram and the tenure lasted for six months until the President's rule was declared.

In the subsequent election held in 1979, the party retained majority and once again Sailo became the chief minister and served a full term till 1984. The party lost to the Congress led by Lal Thanhawla in the 1984 assembly polls.

For the next couple of years, the MPC remained the main opposition in Mizoram. However, the fortunes of the party, which preached for six basic needs for the state, including self-sufficiency in electricity, nosedived starting with the 1998 assembly polls.

In 1998, the party won 12 seats in the 40-member assembly, three seats in 2003 and two in 2008. In 2013, the party could manage to win only one seat with Sailo as the last legislator.

The MPC failed to make much impact in Mizoram politics after Sailo died in 2015. The party is currently headed by his son Lalhmangaiha Sailo. The MPC was part of the seven-party alliance Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which became a political party in itself ahead of the 2018 assembly polls.

However, the MPC snapped ties with it and withdrew from the ZPM coalition in July 2019. PRISM, an anti-corruption watchdog, registered as a political party in 2018 and contested the last assembly polls but won no seats.

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

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