With the Assembly elections just round the corner, both the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are leaving no stones unturned to woo the voters.
Taking note of the Christian dominated State, both the national parties are trying to strike the religious chord to garner votes in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The BJP, it is learnt has promised a free trip for senior citizens of the State to Jerusalem, the holy place for the Christians if voted to power.
The Congress’s offer is a bit less attractive though, with a tag of subsidy, instead of absolutely cashless.
The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), in its election manifesto released on social media, has said the party would set up a board to facilitate Christians to visit Jerusalem.
“By an Act of the State Government, a board will be established to facilitate minorities to visit the Holy Land at a subsidized cost,” the NPCC manifesto said.
The BJP is believed to be one step ahead by offering a similar promise, though for free.
Though the party manifesto is yet to be made public, a party insider, however, admitted that the offer of free trips to Jerusalem was leaked out from the election broadcast script of BJP which was submitted to the All India Radio.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, who is also the BJP in-charge for the Assembly polls in the State made a fervent appeal to the people not to mix politics with religion.
“Politics is for the fulfilment of human physical wants and needs such as developmental activities, while religion was for the inner peace of one’s soul and mind,” Rijiju said while speaking at a function organized to kick start the BJP-NDPP alliance election campaign in Mon district on Wednesday.