{{Mr. Zionnghaka Chana has been courted by every politician in the run up to the next round of elections in India – because he has 39 wives and 127 children. }}
Polygamist and sect leader Zionnghaka Chana has become the voter every politician in Mizoram state wants to know because of his influence over his 39 wives and 127 children and grandchildren.
Mr Chana, who has a 100-room home in the Baktawng village, Aizawl, told reporters: ‘We were witnessing a rush of politicians seeking votes in the last few days.
‘During every election we are much in demand as the winning margins of politicians in this state are slim, so even 100-odd votes matter to them.’
One of Mr Chana’s wives, Rinkmini, said: ‘When we go to vote, we always cast our ballots for the same candidate or party.
‘That means more than 160-odd votes are assured from one family.’
Like most voters at this election, Mr Chana said he wanted clean government and development so that his family could prosper.
‘All we want is good governance and the wellbeing of the state instead of personal gains for our family from the politicians,’ he said.
Mizoram is the only state voting on Friday, in the fourth of nine stages of voting in the world’s biggest election.
The Election Commission rescheduled polling following a dispute over whether tribal groups displaced during recent ethnic strife were allowed to vote in their refugee camps.
The state represents less than one percent of India’s 814 million-strong electorate. Voting across India ends on May 12 – with results due four days later.
Mr Chana’s grandfather founded the sect in the 1930s. It has some 1,700 members including four generations of the Chana family, many of whom carve wooden furniture and make pottery items.
The group live in an enormous 100-room, four-storey property – but some of the wives still have to sleep top-to-tail in communal dormitories.
The family is organised with great discipline. The oldest wife Zathiangi, 69, regularly draws up schedules for her fellow partners to take turns performing household chores such as preparing meals, washing and cleaning.
Preparing meals is always a mammoth task – with one evening meal seeing them consume 30 chickens, 132lb of potatoes and up to 220lb of rice.
The property has its own school, a playground, carpentry workshops, piggery and poultry farms and a vegetable garden big enough to supply the whole family.
Mr Chana is also head of the sect – which allows members to take as many wives as they wish.
Its philosophy is based on Christian teachings, although leaders from the Presbyterian church, the main faith in the state, reject Chana’s embrace of polygamy.
He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away – and there is a rotation system for who visits his bedroom.
Rinkmini, one of Ziona’s wives, who is 35, said: ‘We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village.’
{{The family cram on to a truck to make their way to church. One of Mr Chana’s wives, Rinkmini, said: ‘When we go to vote, we always cast our ballots for the same candidate or party’}}
{{The house where Mr Chana, who is head of a sect, and his family live. He says numerous local politicians have approached him trying to befriend him in the run up to the election}}
{{Zionnghaka Chana – who is currently being courted by numerous politicians in the Mizoram state because of his influence over his 39 wives and 127 children and grandchildren Zionnghaka Chana – who is currently being courted by numerous politicians}}
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