ZPM leader V Zirsanga takes oath as Lai council's head

Aizawl, Feb 27 (PTI) Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) leader V Zirsanga was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) in Mizoram amid protest from opposition parties, an official said.
    This is the first time the state's ruling party (ZPM) is ruling the LADC since its creation in 1972, the official said.
    Lawngtlai Deputy Commissioner Cheemala Siva Gopal Reddy administered the oath of office and secrecy to Zirsanga during a swearing-in ceremony held at the council's hall in south Mizoram's Lawngtlai town, he said.
    Speaking on the occasion, Zirsanga said he would try his best to ensure development and progress of LADC area.
    He said he is among politicians who have been severely attacked by rival parties.
    After taking oath as the CEM, Zirsanga named Manghmunga Chinzah as the deputy CEM and also announced names of three members -- K Hre Kung, Lallawmsanga Apetow and L R Dingliana Chinzah -- as executive members of the council, the official said.
    Before the swearing in, workers of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and Congress staged a demonstration in front of the LADC office to prevent Zirsanga and the Lawngtlai DC from participating in the oath taking ceremony, he said.
    The agitators said they did not want Zirsanga to lead the council because of a pending corruption case against him, the official said.
    However, there was no law and order issue and the swearing-in ceremony ended peacefully, the official added.
    Speaking with PTI, Zirsanga, who was convicted in a graft case by a special court in Aizawl last year, claimed that the court order has been challenged in a higher court and the final verdict is yet to be out in this case.
    In January last year, the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Aizawl convicted Zirsanga, then CEM of the LADC, and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment and slapped a Rs 4 lakh fine for misappropriating Rs 1.33 crore during his previous tenure as an executive member in the council.
    The conviction of Zirsanga, who was then a leader of MNF, triggered political impasse in the council leading to his resignation as the CEM in March last year, just an hour before a special session to address a floor test against his executive committee.
    He recently joined the ZPM to become the council's CEM for the second time in the present council.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)