Mizoram: MNF core committee rejects Zoramthanga's resignation as party president

Aizawl: A joint meeting of Mizo National Front (MNF)'s national core committee and political affairs committee (PAC) on Wednesday rejected the resignation of party president Zoramthanga, a senior MNF leader said. 

Zoramthanga on Tuesday tendered resignation as the MNF president following the party's debacle in the state assembly polls on Monday. 

The joint meeting highly respected the resignation of Zoramthanga by taking moral responsibility as the MNF chief for the party's defeat in the assembly polls, MNF senior vice president Tawnluia said. 

The meeting, however, observed that it was the collective responsibility of the party and not the president alone for their defeat, he said. 

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The meeting rejected the resignation and urged Zoramthanga to continue as the MNF president, he added. 

In his resignation letter submitted to Tawnluia on Tuesday, Zoramthanga, who is the outgoing chief minister, had said that he took moral responsibility as party president for the party's polls debacle in the state assembly polls. 

"The MNF fails to win the state assembly polls. In this regard, I take moral responsibility as party chief. Considering that it is my obligation as the MNF president, I do hereby tender resignation from the president post and kindly request you to accept the same," he had said in the letter. 

Zoramthanga has been the MNF president since 1990 after the death of Laldenga, who founded the party and spearheaded a secessionist movement between 1966 and 1986.

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The 79-year-old MNF chief joined the underground movement by the MNF in 1966 and became secretary to the president (Laldenga) when the outfit moved to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1969.

Zoramthanga was given the responsibility of vice president of MNF and became one of the most trusted persons of President Laldenga in 1979. 

Zoramthanga has so far successfully contested assembly polls six times in 1987, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2018.

He has served as chief minister for three terms between 1998 and 2008 and 2018 and 2023.

In a major setback, the MNF, which has been in existence for more than 60 years, lost to the opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which won 27 seats in the 40-member state assembly, according to poll results announced by the Election Commission on Monday. 

MNF managed to secure only 10 seats, reducing its tally from 26 in the 2018 assembly polls. 

Zoramthanga himself also lost his Aizawl East-I seat to ZPM vice president Lalthansanga by a margin of 2,101 votes.