AIZAWL, June 6: After having
edged out the Congress in six northeastern
States, the BJP has its eyes
set on Mizoram, the last bastion of
the grand old party in the region.
Dubbing Mizoram as an “unfinished
agenda”, BJP national secretary
Ram Madhav said here today:
“Mizoram is the only State in the
North East waiting for the BJP to
take over power. This will be
achieved in this year’s Assembly
elections.”
Madhav made his maiden visit to
the State to chair the BJP State executive
committee meeting that was
followed by a press conference.
Mizoram is going to the polls in the
last part of this year.
“We are preparing our rank and
file across the State to face the upcoming
elections. We will launch a
massive election campaign from August,
after the monsoon is over, and
set up 100-plus booth-level committees
across the State,” he said.
On being asked the possibility of
forging an electoral alliance with regional
parties like the saffron party
had done in other north-eastern
States, Madhav said, “We have
NEDA, an alliance of all regional parties
in the North East. The Mizo
National Front (MNF) is a part of it.
Even though NEDA is more of a
development alliance, it can be an
electoral alliance.”
Earlier, MNF chief Zoramthanga
said his party would not forge any
pre-poll alliance but fight the State
Assembly elections alone.
“We are neither linked with the
BJP nor are we going to forge prepoll
electoral alliance with any party.
We will go it alone in the Assembly
polls,” Zoramthanga said.
Optimistic of winning majority or
being part of the Government even
though the BJP is still a small party
in the north-eastern State, Madhav
said chances of forming the Government
in the State are high, given
the achievement the party made in
the recent Chakma Autonomous
District Council elections where it
won five seats, from no seat in the
previous elections, and formed the
Government with the support of
Congress. “The Congress councillors
had no choice but to support
the BJP councillors,” he said.
He added: “There is a liking for
the BJP in the North East. I believe
this will continue.”
Attacking the successive State
governments, particularly the Congress
that has ruled the State for
two consecutive terms, Madhav
said: “Mizoram is one of the most
peaceful States in the country. Yet,
in terms of development, it lags behind
due to the failure of the successive
governments, particularly the
Congress.”
“Not because the State lacks potential,
but because of the Government’s
inefficiency, Mizoram does not
produce power to meet the State’s
requirement of only 110 MW. The
State still imports majority of its food
items from other States. All the State
roads are in a pathetic condition. This
is because the Congress Government
has done nothing,” he said.
Accusing the Congress of trying to
paint the BJP as an “anti-Christian
party” and a “communal party”, Madhav
said: “The BJP is ruling in many
States where Buddhists, Christians
and Muslims are in majority. This is a
clear indication that the people of India
from across diverse cultures and
religions have embraced the BJP as
their party.”
What the BJP wants from the
people of Mizoram is to give the
BJP the opportunity to form the
Government and see the difference.
“The BJP will not interfere in your
cultural and religious practices. The
BJP stands for development of the
country and respects every culture
and religion in this country,” he said. - Correspondent, Assam Tribune
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