Aizawl, May 14 (PTI) Congress leader C Lalmuanthanga was on Tuesday sworn in as the new Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC).
He will head the Congress-Mizo National Front (MNF) coalition administration in the 25-member council, which is headquartered in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai town.
The LADC, one of the three Autonomous District Councils in Mizoram, was constituted in 1972 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the ethnic Lai people. It covers Lawngtlai and Sangau sub-divisions of Lawngtlai district.
The LADC has a total strength of 27 members, out of which 23 are elected by the people and four are nominated by the Governor.
Lawngtlai Deputy Commissioner Cheemala Siva Gopal Reddy administered the oath of office and secrecy to Lalmuanthanga during the swearing-in ceremony.
The council, previously headed by the MNF, was placed under the Governor’s Rule on March 15 since no party could garner majority after the incumbent CEM V Zirsanga resigned on March 7 a few minutes before a floor test against his administration. He had faced a no-confidence motion by a group of opposition members.
In February, a court in Aizawl sentenced Zirsanga to four years imprisonment for misappropriating Rs 1.33 crore during his stint as an executive member of the council. After the resignation of Zirsanga, no single party could garner the magic number to run the council.
Both the ruling and opposition camps have 12 members each.
On May one, 12 MNF members joined hands with the lone Congress member, C Lalmuanthanga, to form the United Legislature Party.
It staked claim to run the LADC and Governor Hari Babu Kamphampati approved it on May 7.