Punch missing in BJP's Mizoram campaign as PM, ‘star campaigners’ stay away

Barely a week is left for Mizoram to elect its next government. But the election buzz is completely missing at the desolate state headquarters of the BJP in Aizawl’s Upper Republic.

The BJP’s famed election machinery known for its never-say-die attitude, which evolved in 2014 under the dual leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his confidant Amit Shah, is completely missing.

A few party workers idling at the office say the action was in Mamit, some 80 km west of the state capital Aizawl.

The western district has three assembly constituencies.

Mamit, Dampa and Hachhek constituencies of the district along with two Chakma dominated seats -- West Tuipui in Lunglei district and Tuichawng in Lawngtlai district -- are the main focus areas of the party, said a state BJP leader.

Poor chances for BJP

Apart from these five seats, the only other seat the party could expect a victory is Saiha in Saiha district in southern Mizoram, he said on the condition of anonymity.

Many bigwigs of the BJP are contesting from these seats nestled in the western and southern parts of the state bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The two Mizo National Front (MNF) leaders, former minister K Beichhua and former assembly speaker Lalrinliana Sailo, who recently crossed over to the saffron party, are contesting from Saiha and Mamit seats.

The BJP fielded its state president Vanlalhmuaka from Dampa.

The BJP is giving added importance to these seats not only because some of its prominent candidates are in the fray there. More importantly for it, the region has sizable Bru and Chakma voters.

Finding it hard to stave off its anti-Christian image following the burning of several churches in the BJP-ruled neighbouring Manipur, the party is now banking largely on the non-Christian Bru and Chakma communities to put up its best ever performance in the state.

Modi skips trip

Chakma-dominated Tuichawng is the only assembly seat that the BJP could ever win in the state. The party nominee, Buddha Dhan Chakma, had defeated Rasik Mohan Chakma of the MNF in 2018.

The overdrive that is the hallmark of the BJP’s campaign machinery is missing even in this part of the state where the BJP has some chance of winning a few seats.

“To convert the chance to real victory, the party needs to rev up its campaign. Unfortunately, we are not getting that extra push from our party central leadership,” rued the BJP leader.

This unprecedented change of approach got more highlighted when the party’s prime vote-catcher and mascot, Narendra Modi, cancelled a visit to the state at the last moment.

The prime minister was to campaign for the party on October 30 at Mamit. But it was cancelled barely 48 hours before the programme, disheartening party functionaries who were looking forward to the visit.

The BJP did not specify any reason for the sudden cancellation, but the Congress did not miss the opportunity to link with unrest in Manipur, a tender spot for the saffron party, particularly in Mizoram.

Manipur factor

“Could it be because questions would be raised that he had not found time to visit the deeply troubled neighbouring state that has been on the deep edge for almost 180 days… with what face would he go to the rally in Mizoram?” wrote Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in X.

This is perhaps for the first time ever since he became the face of the party that Modi gave a miss to electioneering in an election-bound state.

BJP’s Mizoram president Vanlalhmuaka said Amit Shah would campaign as a replacement. But till October 30, there is no confirmation about Shah campaigning in the state.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari took the stage in Mamit on Monday (October 30).

Both Modi and Amit Shah campaigned for the party candidates in the state in 2018. The party had no presence in the 40-member state assembly then.

Shah had kicked off the party campaign in the state by inducting then Congress legislator BD Chakma, who went on to become the state’s first BJP MLA.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was election in-charge of the BJP in Mizoram last time, was instrumental in Chakma’s defection.

Incidentally, even Sarma is conspicuous by his absence from the state so far.

The BJP has also put up only 23 candidates this time as against 39 last time.

(With inputs from Zodin Sanga in Aizawl)