Jeje Lalpekhlua: Once Baichung Bhutia's strike partner, now Mizoram MLA

When Jeje Lalpekhlua, a former Indian football star, edged out a heavyweight candidate in the recent Mizoram assembly elections, many felt he could be in the running for the role of sports and youth affairs minister in the north-eastern state.

The berth finally eluded him, but the once-feared striker feels there is still a lot to do outside the minister’s chair. 

The ministerial berth in the eight-member cabinet of the newly formed Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has gone to Tetea Hmar — secretary of the Mizoram Football Association and a member of the working committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). ‘’I have known him since my Under-16 playing days and will provide him with all the inputs," says Lalpekhlua, who defeated  Mizoram health minister and Mizo National Front candidate R. Lalthangliana in the last elections from the South Tuipui constituency.

"It’s a known fact that Miozram abounds in natural talent in football, but we need to create the right infra structure to spot the grassroot talents and develop them," he added.

It’s no surprise to see a successful footballer or sportsperson trying to get a toehold in politics, but such forays have produced mixed results at best. While current AIFF head honcho Kalyan Choubey is a prominent member of the BJP and Prasun Banerjee has been a two-time MP from the Trinamool Congress, Lalpekhlua's former teammate Baichung Bhutia has failed to win a single election despite the cult status he enjoys in the hills and beyond. 

Asked about the various other sportspersons’ not-so-impressive records in politics, the 32-year-old Lalpekhlua told the National Herald: ‘’It depends on a lot of things, but the main philosophy is one should not forget one's roots. Like in football, where you need a team effort to succeed, the same principle applies if you want to help people through politics.’’  

The decade between 2010 and 2020 had seen Lalpekhlua emerge as a strike partner for first Bhutia and then Sunil Chhetri, scoring 23 goals in 56 international games. His last international appearance was in 2019. At the club level, he shone for ATK Mohun Bagan, Chennaiyin FC and East Bengal — until a run-in with injuries saw him retiring in February this year.   

His best hour in club football came during his sojourn with the Chennaiyin FC, with whom he won two Indian Super League (ISL) titles and an Emerging Player of the Year award in 2015. He also holds the record for the most goals scored for the Marina Machans, was crowned the AIFF Footballer of the Year in 2016 and has clinched the SAFF titles thrice. Lalpekhlua also has a Federation Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a Tri-Nation series and the I-League title in his portfolio. 

‘’I am aware that there will be more spotlight on me because I was a well-known footballer. Believe me, I was not really interested in politics — all I wanted to see is an end to poverty and hunger in Mizoram," he says. "Through my foundation, I tried to help some of the farmers as they were in distress during the Covid-19 times. I promise to work hard and give it my all.’’ 

Two years back, Lalpekhlua — along with a number of youth from his village, Model Veng Hnahthial — was in the media glare for patrolling a stretch of the Tuichang river to prevent ‘overfishing’, to help sustain the livelihoods of the local fisherfolks. ‘’Overfishing had greatly reduced the number of fish in the Tuichang river over the years," he says. "It was turning out to be a big problem for the local fishermen, who depend on the river for their livelihoods.’’ 

Hopefully, he can bring the same amount of zeal to being a representative of the entire state's people now!