The Battle of Mizoram- Facts From Ground Zero

Ahead of Christmas, Mizoram, the Christian majority State of the Northeast is all set to elect its new government. The State is going to poll on November 28, in a single phase and the results will be declared on December 11. With elections around the corner, the mood in Mizoram is now politically noisy. Though with 40 seats in the Assembly and only single seat in the Lok Sabha, Mizoram has always failed to grab national headlines in the previous elections, the scenario is bit different this time. 

Mizoram, is the last Congress bastion in the Northeast. In all the other seven States, the BJP or its partners are running the government under the umbrella of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), an initiative of NDA, led by Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. Dr. Sarma is credited of bringing the BJP to power in Assam, Arunachal, Manipur and Tripura directly and in Meghalaya and Nagaland through the NPP and NDPP respectively. Mizoram is now an unfinished agenda for the BJP as said by BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav. It is also the last hurdle for the BJP in making Northeast ‘Congress Mukt’. 

The election campaign in Mizoram, has always been a low key affair compared to rest of India or say even the Northeast. Known for free and fair elections, the Election Commission of India declared Mizoram a ‘Model State’ in 2013. But, this time things are slightly different. Political mudslinging is at its peak. And it is all centered on BJP and the NEDA. 

Mizoram is a Christian majority State and the saffron colour of the BJP is something that keeps people at a bay from it. The Mizo National Front, as well as the Zoram People's Movement both, happen to be constituents of the NEDA, but in Mizoram, they trying hard to disassociate themselves from the NEDA and more particularly BJP. As there is no pre-poll alliance between any political party, all are up against each other leveling allegation of having 'understanding’ with the BJP. 

The BJP, however, has a different narrative altogether. NEDA Convenor Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has to say that the BJP is even open for an ‘alliance with the Congress’. According to Sarma, the Mizoram Congress is different from the Indian National Congress led by Rahul Gandhi. Sarma said, “We have worked with the Congress too in Mizoram, in the Chakma Autonomous District Council. We can have similar arrangements. For Mizoram Congress, the leader is Lal Thanhawla and not Rahul Gandhi.”

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Sarma also said that the BJP is ready for an alliance with MNF and ZPM too, clearly indicating that the BJP will be a part of the government in Mizoram anyway, under any given circumstances. 

So, the political blame game is such that even the Congress is being accused of being hand in gloves with the BJP. The major reason behind is the fact that in Chakma Autonomous District Council, around five months back, the Congress and BJP forged an alliance to form the council. 

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, however, refutes these allegations and accuses MNF of helping the BJP. Talking to Republic TV, he had said, “Those people who are talking about CADC (Chakma Autonomous District Council), should realize that we have dissolved the council. I agreed to work with them (BJP), as they (council members) assured me to join the Congress.”

Stating that he is confident of retaining power for the third consecutive term, Lal Thanhawla said, “They say that in Mizoram no party gets a third time, I'll change this and make history.”

On the other hand, Zoramthanga, former Chief Minister of the State and MNF poster boy, is confident of forming the government without any alliance. In his own words, he don't need another wife as he already has one. 

Speaking to Republic TV, on the sidelines of a door to door campaigning, Zoramthanga said, “MNF will emerge as the largest party. I'm expecting 25 to 30 seats. Congress will be not even close to anywhere. For BJP, they will win hardly one or no seat.”

Zoramthanga, however, admits begin part of NDA and said that so is Lal Thanhawla part of UPA. But he is not with the BJP in Mizoram as it is a ‘Hindutva party’. 

Given all these facts on the ground in Mizoram, the picture is quite clear that the post-poll scenario will be a hectic schedule in Aizawl. The BJPs poster boy of Northeast, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will be the one to watch out for on and after December 11, the D-Day.

READ | Protests Breaks Out In Mizoram Demanding Removal Of Chief Election Officer

 

 

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