Kharge, Priyanka to push Congress campaign in Mizoram, likely to promise forest law

“It is a triangular fight and the main plank of the Congress is development that had been neglected in the state,” said Congress Working Committee member and former Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi:Buoyed over the October 16-17 visit of former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will further push the party’s campaign in Mizoram over the next few days. While Kharge is set to campaign in the state on October 29 and 30, Priyanka is expected to visit on November 3 and 4. This will be the first visit of the two leaders to the state.

Polling for all the 40 Assembly seats in Mizoram will be held on November 7. Results will be out on December 3. The Congress is banking on its secular alliance, which includes two regional outfits Zoram Nationalist Party and the People’s Conference Party. As the two regional parties do not have a wide support base, the Congress is contesting all the Assembly seats with their backing.

The Congress hopes to benefit from a triangular fight in the northeastern state. Keeping that in mind Rahul had targeted both the ruling MNF and the opposition ZPM, saying a vote for either of the two meant a backdoor entry for the BJP. Congress Working Committee member and former Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said Rahul’s recent visit generated a buzz around the Congress in the state.

“Rahul Gandhi was extremely popular in Mizoram. The campaign of our three top leaders will certainly swing the elections in our favour,” Lal Thanhawla told ETV Bharat. “It is a triangular fight and the main plank of the Congress is a development that had been neglected in the state,” he said, adding that Rahul had cited the governance models in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka to assure the locals of public welfare policies.

During their campaign, both Kharge and Priyanka are expected to promise a new law to protect the land, the forests and the rights of the tribals of the state, if the Congress comes to power, said party insiders. “The MNF and ZPM will not pass such a law as they follow the BJP, which has been usurping the rights of the forest dwellers,” said an AICC functionary.

Kharge and Priyanka are also expected to flag the party’s concern over preserving the local Mizo culture and identity in the wake of the BJP making inroads into the north-eastern states and the social strife in Manipur since May, said the party insiders.

While Rahul had flagged the Manipur crisis during his campaign, the CWC member said the issue no longer has an impact in Mizoram. “Most of the refugees from Manipur have reached Mizoram and are being taken care of by the locals. I don’t think the Manipur crisis is a major issue here,” said Lal Thanhawla.

However, CLP leader in Meghalaya Assembly Ronnie V Lyngdoh said the Manipur crisis had a resonance in the entire northeastern region. “The PM did not visit Manipur over the past seven months, but he was planning a visit Mizoram on October 30 because of polls, but the trip has been cancelled for some reason. It shows the way BJP looks at the northeastern region,” Lyngdoh said.