AIZAWL:
The Mizoram government, headed by Chief Minister Zoramthanga of the Mizo National Front (MNF), and state governor Haribabu Kambhampati seem to be headed for a political disagreement over the formation of the government in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC).
Official sources, on June 2, said that the governor, who has special powers over the autonomous district councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, recommended governor’s rule in the CADC. Kambhampati’s recommendations were discussed at a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Zoramthanga on June 1, and according to them, placing the CADC under the governor’s rule is not an appropriate option at this juncture.
“Placing the CADC under the governor’s rule without exploring other options is against the principles of democracy,” the ministers opined.
District Council and Minority Affairs Minister R Lalzirliana was quoted as saying that the present problems in the CADC was among the members of district council (MDCs) of MNF, not because of political uncertainty but due to lack of majority. The council of ministers expressed hope that the intra-party problems would soon be solved.
CADC chairman Buddhalila Chakma has already staked his claim to form the next government in the CADC, but the governor maintained that there would be no stability in the council and recommended governor’s rule, which was objected to by the state government.
Rasik Mohan Chakma, the last Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) was removed from the office of the top job of the council in a motion of no-confidence moved in the first sitting of the budget session on May 9. The removal came even as all the 20 MDCs in the council belonged to the MNF and there were no opposition. This was RM Chakma’s second stint as CEM in this term. In the earlier instance, he had tendered his resignation to avoid being removed by a no-confidence motion.
The MNF had secured eight seats and became the largest single party in the last election to the 20-member CADC held in April 2018.
Though the central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the state BJP unit wanted to forge a post-poll alliance with the MNF, its ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the five elected BJP MDCs defied the wishes of the party high command and formed a coalition government with the Congress which bagged seven seats.
Shanti Jiban Chakma of the BJP was sworn-in on May 4, 2018 after being elected leader of the United Legislature Party (ULP), formed by the BJP and the Congress.