MNF support to BJP's NDA only issue based: Mizo CM Zoramthanga

Mizoram Chief Minister and President of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), Zoramthanga, said on Saturday that the party's support to the BJP-led NDA is only issue-based.

While the MNF, one of NDA’s oldest allies, is yet to pull out from the BJP-led alliance, it did support the no-confidence motion moved in the Lok Sabha by the grand opposition alliance INDIA criticising both the Centre and state government over the “wrong handling of the Manipur crisis”.

Addressing party workers here, Zoramthanga said the lone MNF Lok Sabha member from Mizoram -- C. Lalrosanga -- supported the opposition’s no-confidence motion as the party is dissatisfied with the Centre’s handling of the Manipur issue.

“We supported the NDA as we cannot be a part of the Congress-led alliance. However, our support to the NDA is only issue-based and we would oppose the alliance if and when it goes against the interests of the Mizo people as a whole,” the veteran politician clarified.

Stating that the MNF initially opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), but later supported it after Mizoram was exempted from its purview, the Mizoram Chief Minister announced that the party MPs in both the Houses of the Parliament will oppose the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if it is introduced for legislation.

The Chief Minister said that the MNF government defied the Centre's order to deport Myanmarese refugees to their country and allowed them to take shelter in the state.

Around 35,000 Myanmar nationals, including children and women, have taken shelter in Mizoram since February 2021 after the Myanmar military, following a coup, took over the governance there.

The Mizoram government had sought Rs 10 crore from the Centre as humanitarian assistance to provide relief to the Myanmar refugees, but the Central government sanctioned only Rs 3 crore, he said.

“There are no other political parties like the MNF which dares to go against PM Modi,” Zoramthanga pointed out.

Zoramthanga, however, had recently said that his party is yet to decide on pulling out of the BJP-led NDA.

The Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and MNF MLAs had participated in the 'Solidarity March' organised by the NGOs' Coordination Committee in Mizoram on July 25 to express solidarity for the Kuki-Zo tribals, affected by the violence in Manipur.

The 40-member Mizoram Assembly will go to the polls towards the end of this year.