Despite being an NDA ally, Nizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Monday said he will not share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he comes to Mizoram to campaign for the ensuing assembly elections.
He said it would not be good for his party to have sympathy with the BJP in the context of Manipur issue. Mizoram will face Assembly elections on November 7.
Zoramthanga's MNF is a part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and an ally of the NDA at the Centre. However, the party does not work with the BJP in Mizoram.
The BJP has fielded candidates in 23 seats in the 40-member Assembly. Besides the MNF and BJP, other parties in the fray include the opposition Congress and the Zoram Peoples’ Movement (ZPM). The BJP has ramped up campaign in the state and has declared that even if the party doesn't win, it is willing to form a government with any political party except the Congress.
As for the campaigning, PM Modi is likely to visit Mamit town in the western part of the state on October 30. The BJP has fielded Lalrinliana Sailo, a former MNF legislator who recently resigned as Speaker of the House and joined the BJP, from the Mamit constituency.
However, Zoramthanga has vowed to stay clear of the BJP. "The people of Mizoram are all Christians. When the people of Manipur (Meities) burned hundreds of churches in Manipur, they were (Mizos) totally against that kind of idea. To have sympathy with the BJP at this time will be a big minus point for my party," Zoramthanga told BBC News in an interview. "It will be better if the prime minister comes alone and he shares the platform by himself, and I take the stage separately by myself," he said.
Zoramthanga said that the MNF joined the NDA and NEDA as it is totally against the Congress, and does not want to be part of any alliance led by it.
Earlier, Zoramthanga had said that he was committed to the cause of Mizo nationalism, and his government was providing shelter to Zo ethnic immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh defying the Centre's directive to deport them.
"Defying the Centre's directive to deport them, my government has been protecting the Zo ethnic people from Myanmar and Bangladesh. We will continue to protect our brothers and sisters from Myanmar and Bangladesh, ignoring the Centre's directions," he added.
Over 31,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh have taken shelter in different parts of Mizoram.
Batting for Mizo nationalism, the Chief Minister said that the wind of Mizo nationalism is blowing in different parts of the state, and more people are coming out in support of his party. "The MNF's prospect is improving steadily. Our God will not forsake us midway. He will provide us the required number of MLAs to form the next government," he claimed.
The Chief Minister was addressing a function to mark the 62nd anniversary of MNF. "Young people will continue to champion Mizo nationalism amid the crisis faced by our brothers and sisters from neighbouring states and countries," he said.
Zoramthanga added that he had "threatened" to resign when he was asked to pull back personnel of the Mizoram Police from the state's border with Assam during the 2021 clashes. "After that, they relented," he said, referring to the 2021 clash at the inter-state border.
(With PTI inputs)
