Mizoram: BJP Makes Clean Sweep in MADC Polls

AIZAWL: The BJP in Mizoram made a clean sweep in the election to the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC), bagging 41 of the 99 village councils, informed the State Election Commission (SEC) here on Thursday.

The ruling party Mizo National Front (MNF) came second in the MADC polls by winning 25 village councils. On the other hand, the Congress and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) secured eight and two village councils respectively. While Independent candidates won in one village council, no clear majority was seen in 22 village councils.

From the total of 492 village council seats, BJP secured a win in 232 seats, including the 47 seats reserved for women.

The MNF bagged a total of 127 seats, which included 33 reserved ones, followed by the Congress winning 78 seats, including 15 reserved seats.

Out of an electorate of 43,120 voters, a total of 33,432, including 16,988 women, voted in the elections to the MADC on Tuesday.

The BJP party's success is being speculated to be the result of the political scenario in the aftermath of the resignation of minister of state K Beichhua. The minister was elected from Siaha assembly constituency in the 2018 assembly polls.

Beichhua had tendered his resignation last year, on December 13.

CM Zoramthanga asked Beichhua to step down after the defection of some MNF members of district council (MDCs) said to be close to the latter. This resulted in the toppling of the MNF-Congress coalition government in the MADC and the setting up of a BJP government.

Pundits speculate that the BJP, with only one legislator at present, is likely to grab more seats when the polls to the state assembly are held by the end of this year. The assembly is a 40-member one.

The MADC is one out of the three autonomous district councils, which were constituted under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution. At present, the MADC is ruled by the BJP, while MNF is in power in the Lai Autonomous District Council. The Chakma Autonomous District Council had been placed under governor's rule last December owing to a lack of a politically stable government, even as all the 20 members of the CADC belonged to the MNF. CADC polls will be held in May.

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