BJP national spokesperson, Nalin Kohli on Saturday claimed that the North East is moving away from the Congress and hoped that Mizoram which is going to Assembly polls this year will also join the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas.”
Speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of the BJP Meghalaya state executive meeting, Kohli pointed out to the resignation of Congress leader and Mizoram home minister R Lalzirliana and said that in six states in the North East there are coalition governments in which the BJP is the member.
“Sikkim is part of the NDA fold. Therefore in any case, the North East has moved away from the Congress party and the indications of Mizoram are certainly not healthy for the Congress party. The resignation of Mizoram Home Minister is a big development. The minister of a state leaves his party cannot be taken lightly. Congress is ruling for a while there. Looking at the trend of the rest of the Northeastern states where six out of seven states, the BJP has participated in the government, it is not good news for the Congress by any standards. But if the Congress sees it as a good news, it is up to them,” he said.
Asked if the Congress would be wiped out in the North East, the BJP leader expressed hope that Mizoram would also join the national mainstream in terms of the agenda of the Prime Minister Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas and also for the other six states that have joined to bring development to the North East.
“Facts are there. How many ministers used to visit the North East during the UPA Congress, and now under Prime Minister Modi. There were more than 150 visits, and how many times the Prime Minister came and spent time here,” Kohli said while also referring to infrastructure like roads and other developmental projects related to connectivity including mobile connectivity, other schemes in terms of gas, and health schemes.
“Development is our agenda. In the six states we have gone to the people with that agenda, and in Mizoram, we will go with the same,” he said.
The BJP is leading a coalition government in Assam, Manipur, Tripura besides Arunachal Pradesh. However the BJP is part of the government led by other parties in Meghalaya and Nagaland.