Mizo National Front wins 20 seats in 25-member LADC

AIZAWL: The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram on Tuesday won the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) polls by winning 20 of its 25 seats, state election commission said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which contested 17 seats, and the Congress which fielded 14 nominees, won one seat each in the LADC in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district.

Of the three independent candidates who were declared elected, one was supported by the Congress.

At least 72 candidates, including 16 independents, were in the fray for the LADC polls held on December 4.

Of the 22 sitting members, who contested the polls, only 10, including the incumbent chief executive member (CEM) T Zakunga of the BJP and the sitting council chairman V Zirsanga of the MNF retained their seats.

There are 12 new faces, while three former members are among the winners.

In the LADC polls held in 2015, the Congress had crossed the majority mark with 16 seats, followed by the MNF which had managed to secure eight seats and one independent candidate was elected.

Before going to the polls, the MNF had the highest number of members at 11, followed by the BJP with 9 and the Congress with five.

The composition of the LADC had changed several times in the last five years, mainly due to defections.

Created under the sixth schedule of the constitution in 1972, the LADC has 25 elected members and two nominated members.

The council headquarters is in Lawngtlai in the southern part of Mizoram, bordering Myanmar.

Three ADCs for Lai, Chakma and Mara communities were created in the southern parts of the state in 1972.

Source: Press Trust of India