BJP salvo on Congress schemes in Mizoram

Termed as 'anti-Christian', the BJP has launched a scathing attack on the development schemes being projected by the ruling Congress' in Mizoram as the latter's achievements.

This comes ahead of Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah's rallies on Tuesday.

The BJP, which is contesting in 39 of the 40 seats, claimed that most of the schemes announced by Lal Thanhawla-led government were either central schemes or were completed under the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

"The Congress is claiming that they had set up a Sainik School but the reality is that the Sainik Schools are established by Sainik School Society, which is under the ministry of defence and was established in May 2017," BJP leaders said.

The Congress is in power in Mizoram since 2008 and is eyeing a third term while the Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) is trying hard to come back to power.

The MNF was in power before the Congress.

The BJP, which has no MLA at present, is trying to make inroads in the battle between the Congress and the MNF, both of whom claim that the 'Hindu BJP' will not be accepted in a 'Christian Mizoram'.

"People in Mizoram want change," Himanta Biswa Sarma, a BJP leader from Assam, told DH on Monday.

Sarma, who switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2015, is credited to have played a major role in defeating the Congress in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland.

Mizoram, which goes for polls on November 28, is the Congress' last bastion in the Northeast.

The ruling Congress is highlighting its flagship project named New Land Use Policy (NLUP) under which financial assistance was given to people taking up new livelihood support initiative such as fishery, piggery, poultry, coconut cultivation, instead of the harmful practice of trashing and burning of the forests for cultivation.

But the BJP countered this saying that lack of transparency in selection of the beneficiaries had prompted the Aizawl bench of Gauhati High Court to halt the NLUP project.

"In 2011 they had announced to set up a horticulture college but waited till 2014 when the foundation stone of the college was laid by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. Again Turial hydel power project of NEEPCO was announched in 1998 but they could not complete in 18 years and Prime Minister Modi opened it in December 2017," a social media post of the BJP, Mizoram, said.