Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Mizoram on Saturday, beginning his third stint at the helm of the State.
Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan also administered the oath of office and secrecy to 11 members of the Zoramthanga Cabinet at the Raj Bhavan in Aizawl. They included the 75-year-old Tawnluia, a former extremist who fought alongside Mr. Zoramthanga when the MNF was an underground organisation seeking secession from India.
Mr. Tawnluia is Mizoram’s second Deputy CM after Lal Thanhawla, who had “demoted” himself in 1986 to let the legendary revolutionary Laldenga become Chief Minister after the MNF signed a peace accord with New Delhi that year. Among the five Cabinet Ministers is R. Larzirliana, who was the Home and Excise Minister in Mr Thanhawla’s Congress government.
Mr Lalzirliana’s inputs on the strategies adopted by the Congress are believed to have helped the MNF register its best electoral performance, winning 26 seats in the State.
The MNF rewarded J.T. Lalnuntluanga for his giant-killing act — he defeated Mr Thanhawla for the Champhai Sought seat — by making him a Minister of State. Robert Romawia Royte, the owner of the 2016 i-League championship winning Aizawl Football Club, was also among the six Ministers.
Mr Royte is an old associate of Mr. Lalzirliana.
Lalrinliana Sailo, who had quit the Congress to join the MNF weeks before the November 28 Assembly election, was made the Speaker of the 40-member Mizoram House.
“We shall try our best to fulfil our electoral promises and live up to the expectations of the people,” Mr. Zoramthanga said after the oath-taking ceremony.
Imposing prohibition would be on top of his government’s agenda, the Chief Minister said.
