Mizoram LADC chief steps down moments before trust vote, House adjourned sine die

Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) Chief Executive Member (CEM) and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leader V Zirsanga resigned from his post just minutes before a scheduled trust vote on Thursday, prompting the adjournment of the House sine die.

The special session of the council had been convened following a Gauhati High Court directive ordering Zirsanga to prove his majority on the floor of the House. However, the resignation pre-empted the floor test.

After reading Zirsanga’s resignation letter addressed to Governor Vijay Kumar Singh, LADC Chairman T Zakunga formally announced the expiry of the Zirsanga-led executive body and adjourned proceedings indefinitely. Zakunga expressed regret over the council’s recent inability to function effectively, which, he said, had caused inconvenience to the public. He urged council members to remain committed to the welfare and development of the Lai community.

The LADC, headquartered in Lawngtlai, is one of Mizoram’s three autonomous district councils constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to administer the Lai community in the state’s southern region.

Zirsanga was appointed as CEM on February 24 this year, with instructions from the Governor to prove his majority within 30 days—a requirement that was never fulfilled. On May 2, Governor Singh appointed BJP leader N Zangura as the new CEM. Zirsanga, however, refused to vacate the post, leading the Governor to declare his appointment null and void in a May 7 notification.

Challenging the Governor’s order, Zirsanga approached the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court. Initially, the court stayed the government notification and ordered a floor test for Zangura on May 16. Subsequently, on August 8, the court ruled that Zirsanga must be given the opportunity to prove his majority—a process that ultimately never took place due to his resignation.