Former Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo was appointed vice president of the Congress unit in Mizoram on September 4, 2023. He was inducted by Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Lalsawta. Chuaungo is a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1987 batch. He served as the Chief Secretary of Mizoram from 2019 to 2022. He is also a former Mizoram Information Commissioner.
His appointment is seen as a move by the Congress to strengthen its party organisation in Mizoram ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The elections are scheduled to be held in November 2023. Chuaungo is a popular figure in Mizoram and is seen as a safe bet for the Congress. He is expected to play a key role in the party's campaign for the upcoming elections.
Lal Thanzara, the current vice president of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), has been appointed senior vice president. Thanzara is a former minister and the younger brother of five-time Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla.
Thanzara's appointment as senior vice president is seen by political observers as a move to revamp the MPCC ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. He gained public sympathy when he was removed as Mizoram's home principal secretary a few weeks before the 2018 state elections.
Thanzara was removed from his position following a complaint filed by the then-state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), SB Shashank. Shashank had accused Thanzara of objecting to his demand to deploy additional centrally armed police forces. He also accused Thanzara of objecting to the use of the identification slips of Bru voters for any other purpose except repatriation.
Thanzara's removal and Shashank's alleged "pro-Bru" bias vexed the state government and civil society. A state-wide protest by the NGO Coordination Committee, a collective of civil societies and student organisations, led to Shashank's removal from the state.
In February 2019, Thanzara returned to Mizoram as the chief secretary. He was warmly welcomed by the people of the state. After his retirement as the state chief secretary, he was appointed the chief information commissioner.
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