Molin Kumar Chakma of the BJP was sworn in as the chief executive member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram.
This is the second time someone from the saffron party will be heading the council.
Chakma was administered the oath of office by Zoramsiama Hmar, additional deputy commissioner, Lawngtlai, at Kamlanagar, the CADC headquarters, the development capping an end to hectic politicking to form the council by the BJP and the ruling ZPM following the ousting of MNF’s Rasik Mohan Chakma, the chief executive member, on December 11.
The CADC is a House of 20 with BJP currently having 13 members, ZPM six and one from the MNF, which not only lost power but also its elected members barring one. The 2023 council polls had seen the MNF emerge as the single largest party with ten seats and could form the executive committee after defections from the Congress (5) and BJP (5).
The last CEM from the BJP was Shanti Jiban Chakma, who headed a coalition with the Congress in 2018. This time BJP has both the CEM post and also a majority on its own, signifying its growing influence in the CADC.
Molin, 51, was elected as an MDC from the 4-Bajeisora constituency during the 2023 CADC elections on a BJP ticket but he shifted allegiance to the Mizo National Front (MNF) and there was a “ghar wapsi” after the unseating of the MNF-led council.
However, he will now have to pass a floor test to be held after a month, a BJP leader said, suggesting Molin has one more hurdle to cross given the council history of fast-shifting loyalty.
In the previous Executive Committee, Molin held the posts of adviser to CEM and subsequently, the post of Vice-Chairman of Planning and Development Board, CADC.