Hiphei, Mizoram Legislative Assembly speaker and senior Congress leader, on November 5 resigned from his post as well as the House and the Congress.
Hiphei submitted his letter of resignation to Deputy Speaker R Lalrinawma, who accepted it. But the leader did not mention his reasons for quitting.
“After I tender my resignation from the Congress party, I will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” the leader said.
In Guwahati, Himanta Biswa Sarma, convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance and BJP leader, had announced Hiphei joining the BJP.
Sarma said, “He is a very senior leader. His joining the BJP will greatly strengthen the organization.”
Hiphei is the fifth Congress MLA to resign from the 40-member House since September.
He was elected MLA from Palak constituency in the 2013 Mizoram State Assembly election. He also served as Rajya Sabha MP for two terms (1990 – 1996, 1996 to 2002).
Having served two consecutive terms, Hiphei was expected to contest the polls from Palak constituency, but the political difference in the Mara Autonomous District Council areas prompted Mizoram Congress to field another candidate named KT Rokhaw.
The state will go to the polls on November 28.
