GUWAHATI: With just days to go for the Mizoram Assembly polls on November 7, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi became the fist major name from the party to visit the state on Monday.
Reaching Aizawl, Gandhi took part in a march from the capital’s Chanmari to the Raj Bhawan, concluding it with an address to the locals.
In his speech, Gandhi, taking a firm stance against the BJP, accused the Saffron party of erasing the rich traditions and culture of the Northeast. The Congress leader said that the nation’s minorities, Dalits and tribals are feeling uncomfortable in the current regime.
Highlighting the alliance between BJP and the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in the state, Gandhi posed a pertinent question to the Mizos asking why the alliance is still in power when the people are aware of their failings. Gandhi also took the opportunity to applaud policies in Congress-governed states.
He also didn’t shy away from taking a dig at the national media’s preference for Middle Eastern affairs over pressing issues in the Northeast. “Manipur’s concerns are echoed across the nation,” he told the gathering.
On Tuesday, the final day of the visit, the Congress leader has a packed schedule that includes interactions with state Congress leaders, a press meet, followed by a public address in Lunglei before heading back to New Delhi. Gandhi’s campaign trail in Mizoram has been publicised as a part of the party’s famed “Bharat Jodo Yatra”.
“The Bharat Jodo Yatra celebrated the idea of India, where the diverse languages, religions, cultures and traditions of our country are respected and protected. The BJP destroyed that idea in Manipur. We will not allow them and MNF to do the same in Mizoram,” he posted in a popular micro-blogging website.
The political landscape in Mizoram is buzzing in preparations for the upcoming polls. To bolster their chances in the November 7 election, the Congress has already struck a strategic alliance – the Mizoram Secular Alliance (MSA) – with local entities, the People’s Conference (PC) and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP).
Lalsawta, the state Congress chief, had said that the alliance’s intent is a consolidated stand against the BJP. He had also called upon other political outfits to rally under the MSA banner for the “protection of Mizo traditions and religion”.
Notably, Gandhi’s visit to kick start the party’s poll campaign in the state coincides with the Mizoram Peoples Forum’s (MPF) recent agreement to refrain from holding public rallies after the poll schedule announcement. Speaking to the press, MPF’s general secretary, Lalramliana Pachuau, promised a vigilant eye on Gandhi’s activities.
Currently, the Mizoram Assembly has five Congress representatives, while PC and ZNP await their inaugural win.
