AIZAWL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called off his slated campaign trip to Mamit, Mizoram, which was scheduled for October 30. It was confirmed by a senior BJP leader on Saturday.
While the precise cause for the cancellation remains undisclosed, the Prime Minister’s visit was seen as a counter to the Congress roping in the party’s stalwarts such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sashi Tharoor to add momentum to its poll campaign.
Johny Lalthanpuia, state BJP media convener, informed about the shift in plans but chose to maintain the air of mystery by not revealing the exact reason behind the Prime Minister’s decision.
Nevertheless, the Saffron party remains hopeful that its campaign trail in the poll-bound state will see Union Home Minister Amit Shah filling in the void.
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While the exact date of Shah’s campaign visit is still under wraps, it’s evident that Shah will be reaching out to the voters of Mamit and surrounding areas in southern Mizoram.
Additionally, another pivotal figure in the BJP, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is set to spearhead the campaign in the state on tomorrow. With the November 7 assembly elections inching closer, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to woo the linguistic minorities of the state, such as the Chakma, Bru, Mara, and Lai communities.
An interesting shift in the BJP’s electoral strategy can also be discerned from the number of seats they are contesting. While they threw their hat in the ring for 39 seats in the 2018 assembly polls, this year sees them narrowing their focus to 23 nominations.
To bolster their electoral campaign, BJP President JP Nadda released an ambitious manifesto on October 27. The “vision document” pledges some significant promises to the Mizoram electorate, including a notable 33% reservation for women in government sectors and a solution to the lingering border dispute with Assam.
