Three MNF members quit tribal council in Mizoram | Popgen Tech

GUWAHATI

The politics of convenience complicated matters in a Mizoram tribal council that was in a state of limbo, after a dominant regional party ditched its ally Bharatiya Janata Party to befriend rival Congress.

The crisis deepened with the resignation of three members of the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC). The members left the Mizo National Front (MNF), almost a month after they voted against the MNF-Congress coalition government in the council.

The Zoramthanga-led MNF, which rules Mizoram and is a member of the North-East Democratic Alliance of the BJP and the Congress, has been the political adversary in the State.

The three who left as MNF members of the board were Lalrosanga, J. Beikiasa and Lalremthanga.

The MADC polls held in May launched a hung council with the BJP emerging as the single largest party by winning 12 out of a total of 25 seats. MNF and Congress took nine and four seats, respectively.

As “natural allies”, BJP and MNF were expected to form the alliance government in the council. But after more than three weeks of uncertainty, MNF made a surprise when it aligned with members of Congress to form the council, June 1.

The MNF-Congress coalition government was toppled on November 25, after three MNF members voted in favor of the BJP’s no-confidence motion.

“We resigned from the MNF on Tuesday as (Chief Minister) Zoramthanga failed to keep his promise to form a coalition government, with the BJP in the council. We were also unhappy with the functioning of the council under the MNF-Congress friendship,” one of the three pro-BJP members said.

Vice-president MNF Vanlalzawma told journalists in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram that the party headquarters was kept in the dark about political developments in the MADC.

The BJP hoped that it would be able to form the council soon, as the people’s mandate was in favor of the party.