BJP promises 33% reservation for women in govt jobs in Mizoram, probe against MNF regime

Guwahati: Claiming that BJP brought Mizoram and the rest of the Northeast from insurgency to the path of development in the past nine years, BJP on Friday promised 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and a mission to end the drug menace, if it is elected to power in Mizoram.

Releasing the party's "Vision Document" for Mizoram elections at Aizawl, BJP president J P Nadda promised a Rs 600-crore package to revamp government schools and colleges in the state. Some of the other major promises included Rs 950 crore for the development of all villages, Rs 450 crore for the development of urban areas, a sports academy and upgrading the Zoram Medical College.

The party also promised that a special investigation team would be set up to investigate the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Socio-Economic Development Project by the Mizo National Front (MNF) government and take steps to resolve the border disputes with Assam. MNF is part of the NDA but BJP is not part of the Mizoram government.

The promise of reservation for women is considered important given the fact that Mizoram has more women voters than men.

"The Northeast has seen a qualitative change under the Narendra Modi government. The region was known for insurgency, blockades and bandh but since the Modi government came to power at the Centre in 2014, the region has seen peace, prosperity and development. Insurgency-related incidents in the Northeast have come down by 88 per cent, the AFSPA has been withdrawn from 66 per cent areas. The definition of politics has changed from vote bank politics to politics of performance and politics of development. Mizoram has received the benefits of all central schemes like free ration, health insurance and infrastructure development projects. Mizoram was connected by railways in 2016 and the work in a hydro project which remained pending since the 1990s, has been completed," Nadda said.

"It is the BJP, which can transform Mizoram into one of the most progressive states in the Northeast," the BJP chief said.

BJP has put up candidates in 23 out of 40 Assembly constituencies in Mizoram, a small Christian-dominant state with just 8.58 lakh voters. The ruling MNF, Opposition Congress, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and another regional party are contesting in all the seats. Although the MNF is vocal against the BJP, Nadda did not say anything against the MNF and ZPM.

A BJP leader in Aizawl, who attended the function, however, told Nadda that MNF was attacking BJP in Mizoram although it was part of the NDA. "Whenever they go to Delhi, they say they are with BJP but when they land here, they launch an attack on our party. So sir, please keep this in mind," the BJP leader told Nadda.

Hours before Nadda's function, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked BJP, MNF and ZPM charging that the three parties were on the same page. "BJP is using the MNF and ZPM to get into power. This has been the BJP's strategy in the Northeast. They did so in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya and they are trying to do the same in Mizoram," Ramesh said in Aizawl.