Aizawl: The Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) saw the removal of its Chief Executive Member, Molin Kumar Chakma, after a no-confidence motion was passed during a special session convened at the council’s headquarters.
The motion, introduced by Doymoy Daveng Chakma of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), cited the loss of majority support by the ruling executive as grounds for its removal. Of the 17 elected members present, 15 voted in favour of the motion while one opposed it. The lone member representing the Mizo National Front (MNF) abstained. The session was presided over by council chairman Lakkhan Chakma.
This development comes on the heels of a significant political shift earlier this month, when eight councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including the council chairman, resigned from the party and joined the ZPM. Their defection, along with previous gains by ZPM, has reshaped the council’s composition, leaving it with 16 ZPM members, two from the BJP, and one from the MNF. A seat remains vacant following the recent death of a BJP councillor, while four nominated members are yet to vote.
The no-confidence vote has effectively ended the BJP’s brief stint at the helm of CADC, which began in February 2025, which was the first time the party had ever secured power in the council since its formation in 1972. The BJP’s earlier success had been viewed as a critical breakthrough in a region where it historically held little sway. However, internal discord and mass defections have now left the party sidelined in the southernmost autonomous district council of Mizoram.
With the executive ousted, ZPM, now holding a clear majority, is expected to form the next executive committee. Party sources have indicated that council chairman Lakkhan Chakma is being considered as a potential candidate for the position of Chief Executive Member, though a formal claim to power is still pending.
The recent developments in CADC reflect broader undercurrents in Mizoram’s political landscape, where regional parties like the ZPM have gained traction by capitalizing on local discontent and fractured alliances. While the BJP has made some inroads into other parts of the state, including the Mara Autonomous District Council and select constituencies in southern Mizoram, its influence appears to be waning in Chakma-dominated regions.
The Chakma Autonomous District Council is one of three Sixth Schedule councils in Mizoram, alongside the Lai and Mara councils, and plays a crucial role in the administration of tribal areas in the state’s southern districts. The political transition within CADC is likely to impact future negotiations and alignments, particularly as Mizoram heads into more localized elections in the coming months.
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