'I Perhaps Was Sole Voter in Favour of No-trust Motion in Lok Sabha': Why Ally MNF Embarrassed BJP

In a move embarrassing to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, ally Mizo National Front has voted in favour of the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition in the Lok Sabha. MNF lawmaker C Lalrosanga confirmed to CNN-News18 that he voted in support of the motion. “I perhaps was the sole voter in favour of the motion since the opposition had walked out," he said.

The decision to show no confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was taken by the MNF because of the Manipur situation. The party MPs said they were very hurt at the violence that has gripped the state.

While Lalrosanga made the displeasure of his party known by voting in favour of the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, in the Rajya Sabha, MNF lawmaker K Vanlalvena spoke openly against the handling of the Manipur conflict. He strongly objected to home minister Amit Shah’s comment about infiltration from Myanmar into Manipur. While his comments inside the Rajya Sabha were not put on record, outside he told the media that it was wrong to call Manipur tribals infiltrators or outsiders since they have lived in these lands for three centuries.

The MNF though clarified that its discord with the NDA is limited to Manipur alone and that the vote against the government during the no-confidence motion does not mean breaking ties with the BJP.

The move, however, will be highlighted by the opposition to embarrass the Modi government.

The MNF has been critical of the Manipur government’s handling of the clashes in the state. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga has also questioned the role of both the state and central governments in controlling the violence. He even participated in a rally called in support of the Kuki community, a move that led to criticism and counter-rallies by the majority Meitei population in Imphal.

Kukis share kinship with tribal people in Mizoram and Myanmar. Over 12,000 people of the Kuki-Zomi tribes in Manipur have taken refuge in Mizoram since May when ethnic violence began. Mizoram CM Zoramthanga has played a role in getting the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) to meet home minister Shah and defuse the crisis over the burial of Kukis who lost their lives in the violence.