Chakmas boycott bypoll in Mizoram

Aizawl: The Chakma community members did not cast a single vote during the bye-election to the member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council in the Boranpansury-II seat today after a boycott call by the NGOs and political parties. No ballot was cast in any of the three polling stations.
The NGOs including the Young Chakma Association (YCA) and political parties boycotted the bypoll after the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo Students Federation displayed a signboard in Borapansury-I village where the student body has proposed to construct ‘Zofate Khualbuk’ or the ‘Mizos Inn’.
The Chakma community members protested the allotment of government land to the MZP inside the area of the CADC. Reports from the election authorities at Borapansury-II said that while all the official polling parties were in the polling stations, not a single election agent or voter turned up to exercise franchise. The bypoll in the Borapansury-II seat of the CADC was necessitated after the seat was vacated by the former Chief Executive Member of the CADC Dr B D Chakma who was elected to the Mizoram legislature in the 2013 state assembly polls and later became a minister of state. Other bypolls held in two seats in Lai autonomous district council (LADC) and one seat in Mara autonomous district council (MADC) were held smoothly. (PTI)