CADC future in Mizoram CM's hands, says MNF

The issue of who would rule the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram is now the court of Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) said here today.

The CADC is an autonomous council for ethnic Chakma people living in South-Western Mizoram bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar. It was formed under the sixth schedule of the Constitution in 1972.

Election to 20-member CADC on April 20 had thrown a fractured mandate. While the MNF bagged the highest 8 seats, the Congress won 6 and the BJP 5. Election to one seat was stayed by the Gauhati High Court.

The MNF said its leaders today met state District Council Affairs Secretary Rodney L Ralte to discuss the development arising out of the BJP-Congress combine staking claim and the MNF asking for a floor test to prove strength.

The BJP and Congress members formed a post-poll coalition and a saffron party leader staked claim to form the executive committee.

The opposition MNF had also called on Governor Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma demanding that they be called for majority test on the floor of the CADC as the party won the highest number of seats in the election.

Ralte, in a statement, said the state government was considering two options - either to go for a floor test as suggested by the MNF, or invite the BJP-Congress combine United Legislature Party (ULP) to form the executive committee of the CADC.

"Ralte said the department proposed the two options and Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla would decide on the issue and communicate his decision to the Governor," the MNF said in a release here.

The secretary informed them that the final decision on the CADC issue could be made by tomorrow.

State Sports Minister Zodintluanga of the Congress had said on April 25 that a post-poll alliance, the ULP, was forged after the two parties' local leaders reached an agreement, and this would not have any bearing in Delhi or in the coming Assembly election in the north eastern state.

BJP sources had, at that time, said the party may take action against its elected CADC members for forging the alliance with the Congress.

Later, the leadership agreed to the tie-up after the six Congress members decided to join the ULP as individual members leaving their party identity behind.

The ULP has elected Santi Jiban Chakma of the BJP as its leader and the Congress' Buddha Lila Chakma as deputy leader and the former is tipped to become the Chief Executive Member, the administrative head of the CADC.

The MNF was also optimistic of forming a coalition with the BJP, but rejected the BJP's demand of electing its party MDC to occupy the top post of the CADC.