New Delhi: Mizoram Chief Minister and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma on Wednesday (June 24) rejected claims of a formal alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), reasserting the party’s commitment to independent regional identity. His statement comes amid recent speculations that the state’s ruling party has entered into a collation with the NDA bloc.Addressing a press conference in Aizawl, Lalduhom said that joining the coalition is neither under the party’s agenda nor under consideration. He added that although ZPM wishes to maintain cooperative relations with the central government, “an official agreement is not on the table,” reported India Today NE.The chief minister revealed that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly invited the party for a coalition ever since it assumed power after the December 2023 Mizoram legislative assembly elections. However, the ZPM preferred to foster a constructive working relationship with the centre without officially becoming a part of the NDA.“Even now, right from the first day we met after forming the government, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have constantly invited us to join them. However, we usually part on good terms by saying – Let us maintain a good working relationship; we are practically on your side. So, is it really necessary for us to officially align right now?,” Lalduhoma said, according to a report by Nagaland Post. Reiteration the former Mizoram chief minister Brig T Sailo’s vision of regional independence with a national outlook, he stated that the issue of joining the NDA has never been place before ZPM’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC). He further argued that the state has historically benefited from facilitating a collaborative political culture, wherein regional parties worked closely with the centre, reported Nagaland Post.Recalling the efforts of the Mizo Union party, the chief minister said that local leaders frequently aligned themselves with Assamese and central governments to secure state interests. He further alleged that the growing presence of national parties has distorted the state’s political dynamic, effectively reducing the flexibility regional parties once enjoyed, as per the Nagaland Post report.Talking about the recent political arrangement between BJP and ZPM in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC), Lalduhoma said that the move was driven by necessity rather than ideological similarity. He highlighted that no single party had the requisite numbers to form an executive council independently, making cooperation unavoidable. The decision was approved by ZPM headquarters.The ZPM and BJP formally forged an alliance on Tuesday (June 23) and formed the Chakma Democratic Alliance Legislative Party, taking control of the executive body in CADC. BJP leader Nirupam Chakma has been announced as the head of the alliance, which presently comprises 10 BJP members and nine ZPM members. The council has been under Governor’s Rule since January this year due to persisting political instability.Lalduhoma assured that the arrangement is not reflective of a ZPM-NDA collation and is merely a local arrangement.