Aizawl: A fresh round of defections hit the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) on Sunday as Kalasoga Chakma, Sanjib Chakma and Supan Chakma resigned from the Chakma District Zoram People’s Movement (CDZPM), giving up their primary membership and party posts to pave the way for joining BJP.The resignations mark the latest shift in a cycle of defections that has repeatedly altered the balance of power in the 20-member council since the May 2023 elections.Records from the current 11th CADC term show that of the 20 elected members, only one has remained with the political party on whose ticket he was elected. The remaining 19 have switched allegiance at least once, with repeated movement among Mizo National Front (MNF), ZPM, BJP and Congress.Several members have changed parties multiple times. Santosh Chakma has switched seven times during the current term, while Sundor Muni Chakma and Mohan Chakma have each switched six times. Parimal Chakma, Amit Bayan Chakma, Supan Chakma, Ananta Bikash Chakma and Montu Chakma have each changed sides five times. Kalasoga Chakma had already switched four times before Sunday’s resignation.Observers attribute the churn to the absence of the anti-defection law in autonomous district councils, unlike Parliament and state legislatures. The legal gap allows elected members to change parties without disqualification, contributing to shifting alliances and unstable administrations.The political volatility culminated in the suspension of the executive committee by Mizoram governor Gen. VK Singh, who imposed Governor’s Rule on July 7 last year for six months. Governor’s Rule was extended for another six months on Jan 7 and is due to expire on July 7.The governor had cited continued instability in the CADC due to frequent shifts in political allegiance by elected MDCs, along with the pending report of an Inquiry Commission examining allegations of corruption and maladministration.The instability has also affected governance and livelihoods, with irregular salary payments to council employees continuing for months and impacting local businesses and households dependent on regular income.“The political instability has taken a heavy toll on governance and public services,” a student leader from Kamalanagar said. “Many families are struggling because salaries have been delayed for so long, and students have found it difficult to pay school and hostel fees,” he added.With three more MDCs now set to join BJP, the council’s numbers are expected to shift again.Meanwhile, Mizoram BJP unit president K Beichhua on Monday confirmed that the BJP high command in Delhi has agreed to formation of the BJP-led executive committee in the CADC with the ZPM MDCs. Beichhua has claimed that the BJP-ZPM combine has the requisite majority to form the next executive committee.
