GUWAHATI: Mizo National Front (MNF), the main opposition in Mizoram, has categorically denied any pre-poll understanding with any party ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections.
MNF sources on Monday reiterated that they were fighting the Assembly elections in all the 40 seats on their own, denying any “secret understanding” with BJP.
“We have been accused of walking together with BJP, which we deny. In fact, both BJP national president, Amit Shah, and North East Democratic Alliance convenor, Himanta Biswa Sarma, had during their visits to Mizoram stated that the BJP is not going for an alliance with MNF,” a party member said.
MNF president, Zoramthanga had told the media recently that the party was confident of winning the elections. “We are fighting alone in 40 constituencies and are not sharing a single seat. There is no question of an alliance with BJP,” he said.
Meanwhile, MNF held a crucial meeting at the party headquarters in Aizawl on Monday to deliberate and discuss strategy for the Assembly elections which are just about two weeks away.
Top party leaders including MNF chief, Zoramthanga, former state home minister R. Lalzirliana and former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo, attended the meeting, sources said. Both Lalzirliana and Sailo were in the Congress before joining MNF recently.
MNF is eyeing between 25 and 30 seats in the 40-member Mizoram Legislative Assembly with party sources even hoping for an absolute majority.
The incumbent Congress, which currently has a depleted squad of 28 MLAs, apparently is up against a tough challenge in the wake of not just a bolstered principal rival in MNF, but also BJP looking for a toe hold in the saffron party’s “final frontier in the Northeast” and a regional alliance waiting in the wings for its share in the House.
Party sources even hinted that BJP with its “Hindutva ideology” was “not acceptable” in a Christian state like Mizoram. “That being the general perception and MNF representing the people of Mizoram with hundreds joining the party every day, we stand a very good chance in winning close to 30 seats. Congress too is losing the confidence of the people,” the MNF member said.
CEO appointment
The Election Commission of India, meanwhile, is likely to announce the name of the new chief electoral officer on Tuesday.
Sources said that the poll panel has received a few names for the post of the CEO from the state chief secretary on Sunday. ECI, which is looking at a CEO which can conduct free, fair and peaceful elections, may also demand for another set of names if it has reservations against the candidates in the first set.