Aizawl, Dec. 14: The Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) has refuted Independent legislator H. Lalsangzuala?s claim about being pressured to vacate the Suangpuilawn seat, saying he voluntarily drafted and signed a resignation letter during a meeting last week. CYMA president Lianzuala said last evening that Lalsangzuala was requested to resign to pave the way for a free and fair bypoll in the constituency, where miscreants disrupted polling and tried to damage the electronic voting machines before counting of ballots.
?The MLA was asked to resign with the blessings of the four major parties of the state and he did so. We will go ahead and submit the resignation letter, which he signed of his own volition, to the Speaker at the appropriate time. There is no question of threatening him.?
In a letter to the Speaker on Friday, Lalsangzuala claimed to have signed the resignation letter under duress. ?I would like to inform you of the existence of my resignation letter, which I was compelled to sign under threat on December 9, 2003. As you are well aware that such a letter cannot be accepted, as it was not signed of my own free will, I, therefore, request you that, if such letter is submitted to you, kindly reject it,? he said.
The legislator was expected to submit the resignation letter to the Speaker after being sworn in.
Lianzuala said his organisation had approached Lalsangzuala in accordance with the decision taken by the ruling Mizo National Front, the Congress and the Mizoram People?s Conference-Zoram Nationalist Party combine to ask anybody elected from Suangpuilawn constituency to resign.
The Hmar People?s Convention (HPC), however, fuelled the controversy by saying the decision was not a unanimous one. Its president Lalrosiem wrote to the CYMA, saying Lalsangzuala was asked to resign without the consent of all the office-bearers of his organisation.
HPC vice-president Khumte Hmar, who had led his organisation?s delegation to the meeting, backtracked, too. He said the HPC had decided to retract his consent.