Aizawl: The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in poll-bound Mizoram received a jolt on Wednesday as Assembly Speaker, Lalrinliana Sailo resigned from his post and as the member of the State Legislative Assembly and he is set join the BJP and contest the upcoming Assembly elections as its candidate.
Sailo submitted his resignation letter to Deputy Speaker H. Biakzaua. He is the second MNF legislator to resign as member of the Assembly after Dr. K. Beichhua who had resigned from the Assembly and the MNF and the joined the saffron party.
Sailo said that he has quit as member of the MNF and would join the BJP for the development of Mizoram.
“Mizoram is facing a financial crisis, and the BJP which is going to retain power (after the Lok Sabha elections) in Delhi will bail Mizoram out of this crisis,” Sailo, the four-time MLA said.
Sailo won the Chalfilh assembly constituency in the 2018 assembly polls, and was denied a ticket by the MNF for the 2023 Assembly elections.
MNF party officials said that the party decided not to allot him a party ticket over his political remarks favouring the MNF’s alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Eight legislators, including five Independent MLAs had quit the Assembly in Mizoram.
The Independent MLAs includes Lalchhuanthanga (Aizawl South II constituency), V. L. Zaithanzama (Aizawl West-III), Vanlalhlana (Aizawl North-I), C. Lalsawivunga (Aizawl South-I), and Vanlalthlana (Aizawl North-II) resigned from the Assembly on Tuesday in order pave way for them to contest the assembly polls as nominees of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).
Opposition Congress MLA, K. T. Rokhaw had resigned from the Assembly and will be contesting the elections on MNF ticket to retain his Palak Assembly seat.
Elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 7.
Counting of votes polled is scheduled on December 3, which has been vehemently opposed by political parties as December 3 falls on Sunday and demanded rescheduling of the counting day to December 4 (Monday).
