Blow to Congress in Mizoram as top leader joins BJP

Guwahati: A day before Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah is going to kickstart his party’s campaign in the frontier state of Mizoram, former minister Buddha Dhan Chakma resigned the membership of the Congress party and joined the BJP.

Soon after submitting his resignation as a legislator, Mr Chakma also tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday.

Mr Chakma submitted his resignation from the party membership in a letter written to MPCC president, Lal Thanh-awla, who is also the chief minister.

The election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled to take place on November 28.

Mr Chakma is the third heavy-weight Congress leader who deserted the party in the run up to the state Assembly elections.

R. 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. He joined the Mizo National Front on Monday. Another Congress legislator Lalrinliana Sailo, former minister and member of the AICC and general secretary of the state PCC had also left the ruling party and joined the MNF.

Mr Chakma had resigned from the council of ministers on August 21, 2017 in protest against discrimination of some students belonging to Chakma community for admission to medical colleges across the country, though they had qualified for MBBS seat under the state quota.

The BJP has decided to field Mr Chakma from Tuichawng seat.  Meanwhile, Mizoram BJP has made elaborate arrangement for launching the campaign of the party across the state on Wednesday at Aizawl.

The state BJP president J.V. Hluna said over telephone, “BJP national president Amit Shah will inaugurate the party office in Aizawl and will address booth-level party workers.”