BJP emerges as largest party in Mizoram’s MADC polls; falls short of majority

Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday emerged as the single largest party in the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) polls in Mizoram’s Siaha district, but failed to get absolute majority by one seat.

District officials informed that while BJP won 12 of the total 25 seats, Mizoram’s ruling party, Mizo National Front (MNF), bagged 9. The other four seats were won by Congress.

“No party was able to secure 13 seats or more, which is required for absolute majority,” Siaha deputy commissioner Lalsangliana, who’s also the returning officer for the polls, told HT over phone.

“We will now have to wait for a post-poll alliance for formation of the new council. The tenure of the present council ends on May 15 and the new one has to take charge before that,” he added.

There’s no reaction yet from BJP and MNF on whether they will come together to control power in MADC. While MNF is part of the NDA government at the Centre and also a member of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), both parties don’t have a power-sharing deal in Mizoram, which has one BJP MLA among the total 40 legislators in the state assembly.

Election to the MADC was held on May 5. Of the total 85 candidates in the fray, 25 were from MNF, 24 from BJP, 23 from Congress, 8 from Zoram Peoples’ Movement (ZPM) and 5 Independent candidates.

In the last election held in 2017, Congress had bagged 17 seats while MNF and Mara Democratic Front, which fought the polls together, won 7. One seat was bagged by an Independent candidate.