Aizawl, Agency
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in alliance with the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), moved a step closer to taking charge of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) on Tuesday after former Mizoram minister and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) member Nirupam Chakma formally staked his claim to head the next Executive Committee.
The development comes just weeks before the expiry of the second spell of Governor's Rule in the CADC and effectively clears the path for the formation of a BJP-led administration backed by an overwhelming majority in the 20-member Council.
To formalise the alliance, the BJP and the ZPM constituted the Chakma Democratic Alliance Legislature Party (CDALP) at Kamalanagar, the headquarters of the CADC, during a meeting chaired by CADC BJP district president Durjya Dhan Chakma.
The newly constituted legislature party unanimously elected Nirupam Chakma of the BJP as its leader. ZPM member Kali Kumar Tongchangya was chosen as deputy leader, while BJP member Molin Kumar Chakma was appointed treasurer and ZPM member Supreme Raj Chakma was named secretary.
The proceedings were attended by BJP Mizoram State General Secretary Delson Notlia and ZPM General Secretary in charge of CADC Vanlalsiama Pachuau, who were deputed by their respective party leaderships to serve as observers.
Following his election as leader of the alliance legislature party, Nirupam Chakma, the sitting Member of District Council (MDC) from the 6-Kamalanagar constituency, was unanimously authorised to stake claim to form the next Executive Committee. He subsequently submitted the required letter of support to the Governor of Mizoram through the Secretary of the District Council and the Minority Affairs Department.
The numerical strength of the newly formed alliance leaves little room for opposition. The BJP currently holds 10 seats in the CADC while the ZPM has nine, giving the Chakma Democratic Alliance a commanding strength of 19 members in the 20-member Council. The only remaining opposition member is MNF legislator Rasik Mohan Chakma.
The latest political development assumes significance as the current spell of Governor's Rule is scheduled to expire on July 7.
The CADC has remained under Governor's Rule since July 7 last year after repeated defections, shifting political loyalties and changing majorities rendered the then Executive Committee unstable. The Mizoram Governor, Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh, subsequently suspended the Executive Committee and assumed control of the Council's administration for an initial period of six months.
With political instability continuing, Governor's Rule was extended for another six months from January 7 this year.
At the time of extending central administration, the Governor had observed that the Council continued to lack political stability because of frequent defections by elected MDCs.
He had also noted that an Inquiry Commission constituted to examine allegations of corruption and maladministration had yet to submit its findings. The prolonged political uncertainty has had far-reaching administrative and economic consequences within the CADC. Council employees have faced persistent delays in salary payments for several months, affecting not only government staff but also local traders, vegetable vendors, daily wage earners, landlords and educational institutions whose financial stability depends on regular household incomes.
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