AIZAWL: Like other northeastern states, the Congress ruled for many years in the Christian and tribal-dominated state of Mizoram, where the BJP is gradually becoming a strong political force as the grand old party is steadily losing its base.
Underground outfit turned political party Mizo National Front (MNF), now a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has won assembly polls in the mountainous state in 1986, 1998, 2003, and 2018, while the Congress was victorious in the remaining assembly elections.
The BJP, by putting up candidates in 8 to 15 seats, started unsuccessfully contesting the elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly in 1993 but could not open its account until 2013.
The saffron party secured 3.11 per cent votes in the 1993 polls, 2.50 per cent in 1998, 1.87 per cent in 2003, only 0.44 per cent in 2008, and 0.37 percent in the 2013 assembly polls.
In the last assembly polls in 2018, the saffron party fielded candidates on 39 seats and won only one seat, while the deposits of 33 candidates were forfeited. The BJP managed 8.09 per cent votes in the 2018 election.
BJP MLA Buddha Dhan Chakma is the only saffron party legislator in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, for which elections will be held in November and December this year. Chakma won the Tuichawng assembly seat in the 2018 elections, and the BJP, for the first time, entered the state assembly.
Ahead of the next assembly elections this year and before next year's Lok Sabha polls, the BJP's success in the recent elections to the tribal autonomous district councils, got the Congress and the local parties, including the ruling MNF, worried while boosting the saffron party.
The BJP earlier this month, for the first time, swept the election to the village councils (VCs) under the Mara Autonomous District Council. The BJP won the majority of the seats in 41 of the 99 VCs, while the ruling MNF secured a majority in 25 VCs. The Congress and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) got a majority in eight and two VCs, respectively. Independent candidates won one VC, while there is no clear majority in 22 VCs.
Of the total 492 Village Council seats, the BJP won 232, the MNF managed 127, and the Congress bagged seats in the April 18 elections to the Village Councils under MADC. In May last year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 25-member Mara Autonomous District Council polls in south Mizoram's Siaha district. It won 12 seats, one seat short of getting an absolute majority.
Like Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya, for the overall socio-economic development of different tribal communities, Mizoram has three tribal autonomous bodies: the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC), and the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC). Since the last Assembly elections in 2018, the BJP has been playing the minority card, which has seen positive electoral outcomes in elections to the autonomous district councils during the past year. Political pundits predict that the BJP is likely to do better in the next Mizoram assembly elections, due in November-December this year. Media reports in Mizoram said that the BJP's electoral prospects brightened after the resignation of Mizoram Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs Minister K. Beichhua in December last year.
State Chief Minister and ruling MNF president Zoramthanga asked Beichhua to step down from the council of ministers. Beichhua, who was elected from the Siaha constituency as the MNF nominee for two consecutive terms since 2013, along with a few MLAs from other parties, is likely to join the BJP and contest the Siaha assembly seat on a BJP ticket, local media reports said.
In another significant development, Mizoram assembly speaker Lalrinliana Sailo said that he is in favour of the ruling MNF joining the BJP. Adviser to the MNF party, Sailo, said that he would discuss the issue with chief minister Zoramthanga and asserted that the BJP has done a good job in the country and the northeastern region and that there must be a large number of people willing to join the party for the sake of development. Considering its recent local body poll success, the BJP is highly optimistic about its growth in future elections in the border state.
Mizoram BJP president Vanlalhmuaka said: "The assembly elections in the state are more than six months away. Our state leaders and workers are working hard to further strengthen our party, and we are confident of doing much better in the next assembly polls."
He said that the BJP would field candidates for all 40 assembly seats. "Considering the party's performance in other northeastern states, the people of Mizoram have trust in the BJP, as they predict that no other party, including the MNF, will be able to form the next government in the state after the elections," Vanlalhmuaka said.
The BJP leaders are busy mobilising support in the non-Mizo and minority-dominated areas in Mamit, Siaha, Lunglei, and Lawngtlai districts, where a considerable number of Reang, Chakma, and Hmar tribals are residing. However, political commentators said that the majority of the Mizo people would not support the BJP as they consider the party anti-Christian due to its strong Hindutva ideology and agenda. They said that the BJP is most unlikely to raise its tally much unless it ties up with NDA ally MNF.
The BJP had contested 39 seats and secured 8.09 per cent votes against the ruling MNF's 37.70 per cent in the 2018 Assembly polls. With a population of 1.1 million (2011 census), India's second-least populous state, Mizoram, is home to various Mizo tribes. Christianity has emerged as the major religion in three northeastern states—Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya—where tribals constitute 86 per cent to 95 per cent of the total population. (IANS)
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