MNF set to form Govt

The Mizo National Front, who won 10 seats in the 22-seat Mara Autonomous District Council, is all set to form a Government after independent candidate N Viakhu offered to join MNF.

The Mizo National Front, who won 10 seats in the 22-seat Mara Autonomous District Council, is all set to form a Government after independent candidate N Viakhu offered to join MNF, taking the total strength of the party to 11, which is just one seat short of absolute majority.

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H Vanlalauva, the district council affairs minister and MNF general secretary, said that this strength of the party was sufficient enough for the Governor to call MNF to form the governing council and the Chief Minister has already apprised the Governor of the governing council formation.

Viakhu, elected from Council Veng, according to Vanlalauva, had contested as an independent only because he did not get the MNF ticket but now that he had been elected, he was ready to join MNF.

Previous governing council of the Mara ADC was a coalition one between the MNF and Mara and Democratic Front (MDF). "Though MDF has won seven seats this time, we will not consider a coalition since we can form the Governing Council on our own," said Vanlalauva.

The Government will announce the four nominated members to the Mara ADC soon and with this, the effective strength of MNF in the council will be fifteen. The exercise of forming the governing council will begin with the nomination of four members.

The Congress has not done well in this election, with only four seats going into its kitty, despite the fact that a few regional and national level leaders came to campaign for the party and in their public addresses, the leaders had accused the MNF Government of misusing central funds and had cautioned that fund management by the MNF Government would be closely monitored by the Centre.