Mizoram guv hits reset button as MNF pulls out of Lai council LLP

Aizawl: After the Mizo National Front (MNF) pulled out of the Lairam Legislature Party (LLP), Mizoram governor Gen Vijay Kumar Singh said all earlier steps taken to form the 12th Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) — including appointing Lallura Chinzah as protem chairperson, calling the first sitting on Wednesday and scheduling the election of chairperson — should now be treated as cancelled.In an official letter to the secretary for district council & minority affairs, additional secretary to governor Joseph Lalrinawma conveyed the governor’s instructions on Tuesday evening. “Therefore, as desired by the governor, notification in this regard may kindly be issued from your end,” Lalrinawma wrote.The letter noted that the process of forming the 12th LADC had begun with the creation of the LLP, comprising 8 MNF MDCs and 6 Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) MDCs. Based on this arrangement, the governor had appointed Chinzah as protem chairman on the proposal of T Zakunga, leader of the LLP, and summoned the first sitting of the council for Wednesday (Jan 7).However, the MNF formally withdrew from the LLP on Tuesday. With no party holding an absolute majority, the governor asked the district council & minority affairs department to issue a notification declaring all earlier steps toward forming the executive committee null and void.According to MNF leaders, the withdrawal stemmed from dissatisfaction among their MDCs over the distribution of posts by Zakunga. Under the LLP arrangement, the MNF was allotted the posts of deputy chief executive member (dy CEM), chairperson, and three executive members (EMs), while the ZPM, despite having fewer MDCs, was set to secure the chief executive member (CEM) post, five EMs, and four nominated members.The eight MNF MDCs later met party president Zoramthanga in Aizawl and agreed to abide by the high command’s decision.On Jan 5, Zoramthanga also met a BJP representative in the morning before calling on the governor in the afternoon. MNF youth president Robert Romawia Royte met the governor later that evening.The formation of the executive committee has been complicated by the fragmented mandate in the Dec 3 election to the 25-member LADC. Congress, which won 7 seats, ended its pre-poll alliance with the MNF on Dec 11. Even with support from 2 BJP MDCs and 2 independents, the MNF’s tally of 8 seats fell short of a majority.Congress attempted to form a coalition executive committee with the ZPM under the leadership of C Ngunlianchunga, the lone Congress MLA in the state assembly, but the proposal was rejected by some ZPM leaders. The ZPM then forged the LLP with the MNF under Zakunga’s leadership, but internal dissent led to MNF’s withdrawal.Insiders in the MNF said fresh efforts are underway to form the executive committee with support from the BJP and some Congress MDCs, a move seen as likely to receive the governor’s backing.