Three-time member of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) Mohan Chakma of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) was on Wednesday announced as the new chairman of the council after he was elected unopposed, an official in Mizoram said. 

He replaced the incumbent chairman H Amaresh Chakma, who was removed in a no-confidence motion during the recently concluded budget session of the council on March 26, the official said. 

Filing of nomination for the chairman post was notified on Tuesday and election was scheduled on Wednesday. 

However, Mohan Chakma was the lone candidate and accordingly he was declared elected uncontested on Wednesday, the official said. 

Chakma has successfully contested the council polls held in April 2018 from Parva constituency for the third consecutive term. 

In the last two terms, he had held the post of executive member. 

Also read: Mizoram: 4 districts declared African Swine Fever epicentres, over 1100 pigs dead in a month  

Meanwhile, incumbent deputy chairman Mohesh Boran Chakma tendered resignation soon after Mohan Chakma assumed his office.  

Sources in MNF said that the deputy chairman’s resignation was ‘voluntary’. 

“He might be assigned with different responsibility,” the sources added. 

The CADC was created in 1972 for the Chakma tribals living in south-western part of Mizoram.  

Its headquarters is located at Chawngte (Kamalanager) in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district. 

The council has 20 elected members and 4 nominated members. 

The council is currently headed by Durjya Dhan Chakma, who was sworn in as Chief Executive Member (CEM) on April 6. 

There are seven executive members in the council. 

Also read: Beg, borrow or steal, but provide oxygen: Delhi High Court tells Centre

The council threw up a “hung” house in the 2018 council polls, where the MNF won 8 seats, Congress (6) and BJP (5), while the countermanded Fultuli constituency was later won by Congress. 

Later, 4 Congress members had defected to MNF and another 2 to the BJP. 

The council is not bound by the anti-defection law and is frequently witnessing defection among the members. 

On March 26, six BJP members quit the saffron and joined MNF. 

At present, the MNF has 18 members, while the BJP has only 2 members in the 20-member council.