Senior congress leader from Mizoram quits congress, set to join BJP

Former Mizoram minister Buddha Dhan Chakma quit the Congress on Tuesday and is all set to join the BJP. After tendering his resignation as a legislator from the state Assembly, Chakma submitted his resignation from the primary membership of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to party functionaries here.

The resignation letter from the MPCC was addressed to MPCC president, Lal Thanhawla, who is also the chief minister. Speaker Hiphei has accepted Chakma's resignation from the House, Assembly secretary S R Zokhuma said.

Election to the 40-member House is scheduled to be held in the state on November 28. Mizoram BJP unit president Prof John V Hluna told PTI that Chakma would be joining the BJP on Tuesday.

The saffron party would field Chakma from Tuichawng seat in the assembly polls, Hluna said. With Chakma's resignation, three Congress MLAs have resigned from the Assembly recently. The present strength of the state legislature is 37 after the resignation of the three Congress legislators.

The ruling Congress has 31 legislators and the MNF six. The Assembly Speaker on Monday had accepted the resignation of former home minister R Lalzirliana. 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 formally joined the MNF Monday. Earlier, 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.

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.

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