Mizoram polls: MNF rejects Zoramthanga's resignation after election debacle

The MNF, which was trounced in the Mizoram Assembly election, Wednesday rejected the resignation of its president Zoramthanga and agreed that he will continue in the post, party sources said.

The national core committee and political affairs committee of MNF rejected Zoramthanga's resignation and lauded his gesture of taking the moral responsibility of his defeat, MNF senior vice-president Tawnluia said.

The meeting felt that the election outcome is the collective responsibility of the party and not of the president alone, he said.

Zoramthanga, who served as chief minister of the state for 30 long years, had put in his papers following the party's debacle in the election. The counting of votes was held on Monday.

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

In a major setback the MNF lost to opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which won 27 seats in the 40-member state assembly.

MNF managed to secure only 10 seats reducing its tally from 26 in 2018 assembly polls, while Zoramthanga himself also lost his Aizawl East-I seat to ZPM vice-president Lalthansanga by a margin of 2,101 votes.

Zoramthanga has been the MNF president since the death of Laldenga in 1990.

The 79-year-old MNF chief has so far successfully contested assembly polls for six times in 1987, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2018. He served as chief minister between 1998 and 2008 and 2018 and 2023.