From Saurav Borah
GUWAHATI: Mizoram BJP believes that it will be the “kingmaker” if a “probable alliance-stitching” scenario arises after the November 28 Assembly elections in the hill state.
The saffron party, which is going alone in all the 40 constituencies of the Christian state, is looking at conquering its “final bastion” in the Northeast. Till date, BJP heads governments in four states of the region and is part of alliances in two states, including Meghalaya.
“A post-poll alliance will surely happen as neither Congress nor Mizo National Front will have absolute majority in the Assembly elections. BJP is likely to win at least 15 seats and will be the kingmaker in the event of such a scenario,” Mizoram BJP general secretary, Vanlalhmuaka, told The Shillong Times over phone on Tuesday.
The party declared 13 candidates in the first list recently and is poised to come out with the second list in a day or two.
“Our parliamentary board will sit either tonight or tomorrow to finalise the second list of candidates,” he said.
On the poll strategy of the party, Vanlalhmuaka said that the “best” candidates will be fielded in 15 constituencies where it was sure to pull of wins.
“We are dividing our candidates into three groups, with the first group featuring 15 who are the best and the second comprising candidates who might come second best. The rest with a low probability or no chance of winning has been clubbed in another group,” he said.
The party also revealed that it would field Chakma candidates in the two districts having a Chakma-majority population.
“People from the community have a right to contest from the two seats,” he said.
Asked how the campaign strategy has gone ahead so far, the party general secretary said the ground work is under way with people assigned to mobilise support across different constituencies.
“The campaign got a shot in the arm after national BJP president (Amit Shah) visited the state earlier this month. Besides, several leaders, including the Tripura chief minister, have campaigned for the party in Mizoram,” he said.
On how BJP has countered the campaign against the party by the Church and NGOs so far, he said, “People realise that the party has done a lot in regard to development in the 20 BJP-ruled states. So, no matter how much the Church propagates, it will not have any effect. As it is, the influence of the Church is going down,” the BJP leader said.
He further stated that the electorate of Mizoram also knows that the Congress and MNF have been spreading anti-BJP propaganda which is why the best candidates have been fielded.
“In Mizoram, a constituency has at the most 18,000 to 20,000 people who are looking at the person who is going to serve the constituency. So such propaganda or campaign against BJP will not work,” Vanlalhmuaka said.
The battle over the past 20 years has seen both Congress, which will be eyeing a hat trick this time, and MNF exchange power.
After a decade’s rule by the MNF and Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) combine since 1998, Congress returned to power in 2008 by bagging 32 seats and again in 2013 by winning 34 seats in the 40-member House.
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