Why ruling Congress in Mizoram is jittery about BJP

Aizawl, November 25, 2018:

The Congress in Mizoram is jittery about a resurgent BJP, primarily because of the saffron party’s possible political engineering, post-election.

The Congress and the state’s principal opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) are the two main players. However, the Congress is ostensibly more afraid of the BJP than the MNF. In every rally or press conference, the Congress is attacking the BJP. And this, despite the fact the BJP has never won a single seat in Mizoram election.

The BJP hardly has any base in the Christian-majority state and is only trying to grow. But learning from past experiences in some states of the Northeast, the Congress fears that in the event of a fractured mandate, the BJP would go to any length to poach the MLAs of other political parties including the Congress.

The BJP itself knows it well that it cannot form the government in Mizoram. Its focus is on winning two-three seats in the Bru-Chakma areas and be a part of a possible non-Congress coalition government. The Brus and the Chakmas, who are Mizoram’s ethnic minority communities, are a mix of Hindus and Christians. The BJP sees it as an advantage.

The BJP has not forged any alliance with the MNF although they are allies in non-Congress conglomerate of political parties North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). Apart from Congress and MNF, another political party expected to win some seats is Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM). The Congress says the BJP wants to enter Mizoram by riding piggyback on the MNF and the ZPM.

“No matter what they say but we know it well that the BJP has a tacit understanding with the MNF and some other regional parties. The BJP wants to grab power through the backdoor,” Congress spokesman Maliana said.

The BJP’s No-1 leader in the Northeast and Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma categorically said: “We will have it through the front door”.

“We will surprise everyone by winning seats in Mizo-majority areas too. We have friends in the Congress and the MNF and if there is a shortfall (post-election), we have enough friends in both the parties,” he said.