LADC chairman cries foul over CEM appointment, questions guv

Aizawl: Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) chairman T Zakunga, while stopping short of accusing the Mizoram governor Gen VK Singh of making an unconstitutional decision, has asked how N Zangura can be appointed as chief executive member (CEM) of the council while the executive committee led by present CEM V Zirsanga is still in place.
Zakunga also asked how two CEMs can be in the autonomous district council simultaneously.
Zakunga, the lone BJP member of district council (MDC) elected in 25-member LADC polls held in 2020, recently joined the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and was elected as the council's chairman in late March.
He said V Zirsanga, who joined the ZPM from the Mizo National Front (MNF), was sworn-in as CEM on Feb 27. Nine executive members (EMs) were also inducted on March 17 while the ZPM executive committee had already passed the council budget on April 22.
The governor on Friday appointed N Zangura, who left the ZPM along with BN Thangpuia, and joined the BJP to form the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) with the 11 MDCs of the MNF while the lone Congress MDC C Lalmuanthanga supported the UDA from outside.
Zakunga said the ZPM executive committee headed by CEM Zirsanga is still in power in the LADC and yet to be dissolved. "It is difficult to understand why a new CEM is appointed while the ZPM is still in power," the LADC chairman said.
BJP state leaders, however, said the narrative that there are two CEMs in the LADC is a political game to misguide the people of the council. They argued that the ZPM executive committee headed by Zirsanga failed to prove its majority in the council within the stipulated time set by the governor. The governor also censured the ZPM executive committee for presenting and passing the council budget without proving its majority in a vote of confidence. "The governor has no alternative as the 13 UDA MDCs along with the lone Congress MDC appeared before him on April 23 at the Raj Bhavan and staked claim to form the next executive committee in the LADC, which clearly shows that the ZPM has lost its moral right to rule the council," the BJP leaders said.
The newly-appointed CEM Zangura has to prove his majority on the floor of the council on or before next Saturday, as the governor instructed that a vote of confidence should be undertaken within 10 days of the CEM's appointment.
On the Lai Students' Association (LSA) demand for the dissolution of the current 11th LADC and that no executive committee should be formed by any political party, Zangura told TOI that there are forces instigated by some political parties against the BJP-led executive committee coming to power in the LADC. "This is neither dirty politics nor using the CEM post as a musical chair, but the people of the LADC want development and the BJP is the only party that can fulfil the dreams of our people," he said.