Mizoram Assembly Elections: Former minister Buddha Dhan Chakma resigns from Congress; to join BJP

Former Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma quits the Congress on Tuesday and is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party, the party official said.

Chakma, a former Sericulture and Fisheries minister, resigned from the council of ministers on August 21, 2017 protesting the denial of medical seats to Chakma tribal students, despite they qualified for MBBS admission under the state quota, sources said.

According to party official, Chakma tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to party functionaries after he gave up his position as legislator from the state Assembly.

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Speaker Hiphei has accepted Chakma’s resignation from the House, Assembly secretary S R Zokhuma said.

Soon after the approval of Chakma’s resignation, Mizoram BJP unit President John V Hluna told reporters that the former Congress minister would be joining the BJP.

The BJP party would field Chakma from Tuichawng seat in the assembly polls, Hluna added.

With Chakma’s resignation, the Congress in Mizoram has suffered another blow prior to the November 28 polls. Earlier, former home minister R Lalzirliana and former minister Lalrinliana Sailo were resigned from the ruling Congress party.

At present, after resignation of the three Congress legislators, the strength of the Mizoram legislature stands at 37. The ruling Congress has 31 legislators and the Mizoram National Front (MNF) has six.

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Lalzirliana, who resigned as the state home minister on September 14 was expelled as vice president of the state PCC and primary member of the Congress party indefinitely by the ruling MPCC disciplinary action committee on September 17, said the sources.

On Monday, the former home minister formally joined the MNF party, they said.

According to reports, MNF’s will allot Lalzirliana as party’s official candidature for Tawi AC for the state assembly elections, which is scheduled to be held on November 28.

(With inputs from agencies)