Mizoram Congress snaps MNF tie, aligns with ZPM to stake claim in Lai council
Lawngtlai District Congress Committee’s president issued a statement saying that the MNF had broken their pre-poll agreement by attempting to horse-trade several elected council members
Aizawl: The Mizoram Congress on Friday ended its pre-poll alliance with the Mizo National Front (MNF) and aligned with the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) in a bid to form the government at the Lai Autonomous District Council.
President of the Lawngtlai District Congress Committee, J Ropianga Chinzah, issued a statement saying that the MNF had broken their pre-poll agreement by attempting to horse-trade several elected council members.
“Defying our pre-poll agreement the MNF leadership tried to lure ZPM’s T Zakunga offering him the chief executive member’s post,” Chinzah said.
Sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) vice president C Ngunlianchunga said that, as per the pre-poll arrangement made by the two parties, leaders would chalk out an agreement to form a coalition government should there be a hung assembly.
In the December 3 election to the Lai Autonomous District Council, the Mizo National Front emerged as the single largest party, bagging eight seats, followed by the Indian National Congress with seven seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured two seats, while two seats were won by independent candidates.
MNF vice president and leader of the opposition in the Mizoram legislative assembly, Lalchhandama Ralte, denied the Congress’s allegations and stated that the MNF stood by the pre-poll agreement.
“In the last Lai district council election while our party was in power, we won 20 seats out of 25, the ruling ZPM’s performance has clearly proved that the support they got from the people of Mizoram is dwindling, it is out of sheer attempt to form a government that they aligned with the Congress,” Ralte said at Mizoram Hnam Run, MNF’s general headquarters.
“Rather than horse-trading and frequent political manoeuvres, our council members will form a strong opposition for the people of Lai Council,” he added.
Though the Congress and the ZPM have hinted at forming a coalition government, the MNF vice president said the merger had already faced a power-allocation dispute even before the formation of the coalition.
The Lai Autonomous District Council is one of the three Sixth Schedule autonomous district councils in Mizoram, established in 1972 alongside the Chakma and Mara councils. It functions as a self-governing body for the Lai ethnic community, administering local governance, customary laws, land management, and development activities within its jurisdiction.
