AIZAWL
The possibility of the BJP forming the government with either of the two regional parties in the fray would prompt the people of Mizoram to vote the Congress back to power, the grand old party’s State unit president Lalsawta said.
The November 7 elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is predicted to be a close fight between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). The MNF is a constituent of the BJP-helmed National Democratic Alliance, although the candidates of two parties are pitted against each other in 23 constituencies.
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“About 90% of the people of Mizoram are Christians and they feel threatened by the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. Since the MNF has been an ally of the BJP and there are speculations that the BJP intends to ditch the MNF and come into a partnership with the ZPM, people know the Congress is their only alternative if they have to save their cultural and religious beliefs,” Mr. Lalsawta told The Hindu.
“The BJP can at most win three seats but there is a feeling it is playing with both its lovers [the two regional parties] to be in the government in Mizoram. If that happens, it may not take too long for the ethnic violence in BJP-ruled Manipur to spill over to Mizoram,” he said.
The BJP’s bid to be in power was not the only factor why the Congress, contesting its first State election without five-time Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla in control, would return to power in Mizoram, Mr. Lalsawta said.
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“This will be a hard fight but the Congress will form the next government in Mizoram on the strength of many clean and young candidates. The feedback we are getting from the ground is that our position is improving across the State,” he said.
Socio-Economic Development Policy
The former Finance Minister, contesting from the Aizawl West-III constituency, said the MNF would be defeated by the Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP), the very scheme that helped it end 10 years of Congress rule in 2018.
The SEDP entailed financial assistance of up to ₹3 lakh to beneficiaries to start projects or trades of their choice for sustainable development.
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“The SEDP was offering ₹3 lakh versus the ₹1 lakh assistance the Congress government provided under the New Land-Use Policy. But while the Congress provided the financial assistance, the MNF gave ₹25,000 and only to party workers,” Mr. Lalsawta said.
Apart from feeling cheated, the people know the MNF had been a failure in developing or maintaining infrastructure such as roads, he said. “The airport and a medical college were built during the Congress rule. The Tuirial hydropower project, abandoned by the MNF government in 2007, was made operational by us,” he added.
