AIZAWL: Elections to the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram threw up a hung House on Thursday as no party was able to secure the magic figure of 11, an official said.
According to the results announced by the state election commission, the Mizo National Front (MNF) emerged as the single largest party winning 10 out of 19 seats in the CADC, for which elections were held on Tuesday.
A party is required to win 11 seats to secure an absolute majority in the 24-member CADC. Four members are nominated to the council.
Polling was held for 19 seats as the State Election Commission (SEC) had countermanded the election to the Rengkhashya constituency due to the death of the BJP candidate, who was allegedly killed in a clash on May 4.
The BJP and the Congress have secured five and four seats respectively, while Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) drew a blank, Lawngtlai additional deputy commissioner Abraham Beirazi Khithie, the returning officer, said.
The MNF, BJP and Congress had put up nominees in all 19 seats, while the ZPM fielded 13 candidates.
The last date for filing nomination for the Rengkhashya seat is on Friday, and the counting of votes for the seat will be taken up on May 19, he said.
Of the 10 incumbent members fielded by the MNF, six members, including former chief executive member (CEM) Rasik Mohan Chakma and council chairman Kali Kumar Tongchangya, retained their seats.
Former minister Nirupam Chakma was among 5 BJP candidates, who successfully contested the council polls. The CADC was created in 1972 for the Chakma tribals living in the southwestern part of Mizoram.
The last CADC elections in April 2018 also threw up a hung House. The MNF had won eight seats, the Congress bagged six seats and the BJP won five. The Fultuli constituency, the election for which was countermanded, was won by Congress.
Later, all members of the Congress and the BJP defected to the MNF, bringing it to power. In December last year, Governor's rule was imposed in the council due to political instability.
The northeastern state has three tribal autonomous bodies, Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) and the CADC.