Lawngtlai: The Mizoram unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a formal complaint with Director General of Police Anil Shukla over the alleged abduction of Tuturu Singh, a member of the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), who recently quit the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and was en route to join the BJP.
According to a letter sent to the DGP by BJP state general secretary Lalthangmawii, Singh was allegedly intercepted and forcibly taken by unidentified individuals near Lunglei while he was travelling to Aizawl on Wednesday. The miscreants reportedly pulled him out of his vehicle and transported him to Lawngtlai town. The party has expressed deep concern over Singh’s safety and urged immediate legal action against the culprits.
The incident comes a day after both Singh and another ZPM member, N Zangura, resigned from the party. Singh was the deputy chief whip and Zangura served as an adviser to the Chief Executive Member (CEM) in the current ZPM-led LADC administration. Zangura formally joined the BJP on Thursday.
The BJP and its ally, the Mizo National Front (MNF), are now pushing to form a new executive committee in the 25-member LADC. The joint legislature party, led by chairman N Zangura, submitted a letter of majority to Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh, staking claim to form the council’s next executive body.
The BJP-MNF combine currently holds 14 members (11 MNF + 3 BJP), surpassing the majority mark of 13. Additionally, the lone Congress member, C Lalmuanthanga, has expressed support for the alliance, further strengthening their claim.
The LADC, headquartered in Lawngtlai, is one of three autonomous district councils in Mizoram’s southern region and was established in 1972 to represent the Lai tribal community. The council has 25 elected and 4 nominated members.
In the 2020 council elections, the MNF won 20 seats, BJP and Congress secured one each, and three independents were elected. However, the council has seen frequent leadership changes, with the current ZPM-led committee led by CEM V Zirsanga coming to power in February 2024.
Governor Vijay Kumar Singh is yet to make a formal decision regarding the formation of the new executive committee. BJP state president Vanlalhmuaka expressed optimism that the new government would be announced within the week.