Lawngtlai, Mizoram: In a significant political tremor in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, the four-month-old BJP-led executive committee of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) faces an existential threat as eight of its members have defected to the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). This dramatic shift, confirmed by a CADC official on Monday, has fundamentally altered the power dynamics within the 20-member council.
The exodus began on Sunday, with seven members, including the incumbent council chairman Lakkhan Chakma, tendering their resignations from the saffron party to embrace the ZPM. The blow was further amplified on Monday when another BJP member, Santosh Chakma, followed suit. This series of defections has left the BJP with a meagre six members, effectively stripping them of their majority in the council.
The current CADC executive, led by BJP’s Molin Kumar Chakma as Chief Executive Member (CEM), had only assumed office on February 4, marking a historic first for a BJP-led administration since the council’s inception in 1972. The latest political realignment now sees the ZPM commanding a comfortable 12 members, while the Mizo National Front (MNF) holds one seat. One seat remains vacant following the demise of a BJP member from Kamalanagar West constituency in April. Eleven members are required to form an executive body in the 20-member CADC.
Meanwhile, the Central Mizoram Chakma Students’ Union (CMCSU) has voiced deep concern over the escalating political instability plaguing the CADC. In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation implored members to prioritise the welfare of the Chakma populace over personal ambitions and power struggles. The CMCSU highlighted that the incessant defections have fostered an environment of uncertainty and distrust, impeding societal progress and diminishing the dignity of the council.
“Instead of focusing on the issues faced by our community, our leaders are preoccupied with political manoeuvring and power struggles,” the CMCSU statement read, urging all political leaders to uphold the trust bestowed upon them by the electorate. The student body called for an immediate halt to the “culture of defection” and demanded accountability from the council members, pressing them to restore the council’s original purpose and dignity. The CADC, established in 1972 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, serves the welfare of the Chakma tribals in Mizoram, with its headquarters located in Chawngte, also known as Kamalangar, in Lawngtlai district. Notably, the anti-defection laws do not apply to the council.
Read More: Manipur Reviews Border Security, IDP Rehabilitation, Law and Order with Union Home Secretary