AIZAWL: The planned Mizoram assembly elections campaign tour of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has been cancelled.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was slated to visit the assembly elections-bound Northeast state of Mizoram on Friday (November 03) for campaigning.
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“Due to unavoidable reasons, we are informing that Priyanka Gandhi’s visit (to Mizoram) stands cancelled,” a Congress spokesman informed.
Priyanka Gandhi was slated to campaign for Congress candidates in linguistic minority areas in the southern and western parts of Mizoram.
It may be mentioned here that the Congress party has fielded candidates in all the 40 assembly constituencies in Mizoram.
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Polling for elections to the 40-member Mizoram legislative assembly is slated to be held in a single phase on November 07.
Counting of votes in Mizoram will be conducted on December 03, along with the four other Indian state that also go to polls along with the Northeast state.
Also read: Mizoram assembly elections 2023: No alliance with BJP at any cost, says ZPM
MNF & ZPM acting as BJP agents, says Congress chief
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) in election-bound Mizoram of being “unofficial agents” of the BJP.
“MNF and ZPM are acting as unofficial agents of BJP,” said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (November 02).
The Congress president made this statement while primarily targeting the BJP efforts to expand its base in the Christian-majority Northeast state of Mizoram.
“BJP-RSS are against diversity, and they want to take away the precious land and forest that are the property of the tribals, for the welfare of their cronies,” said Kharge.
He added: “The people of Mizoram deserve peace, prosperity and progress.”
Mallikarjun Kharge further reiterated that peace in Mizoram returned due to the efforts of the Congress party.
“Rajiv Gandhi brought peace to Mizoram through the Peace Accord in 1986 and secured statehood in 1987,” said Kharge.
He said: “Congress party has always been committed to its (Mizoram) progress.”
Speaking about the poll promises made by the Congress party ahead of the Mizoram assembly elections, Mallikarjun Kharge said: “What we promise, we deliver.”
“Our guarantees for the state of Mizoram shall usher welfare, inclusiveness and economic security,” said Kharge.
Also read: No political hand behind Manipur violence, says Rajnath Singh in election-bound Mizoram
Mizoram: Sonia Gandhi attacks BJP & RSS, says democracy under threat
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Wednesday (November 01), launched a scathing attack on the BJP, saying democracy is under attack under its rule.
In a video message to the people of Mizoram, Sonia Gandhi said that the BJP does not value diversity and democracy but wants to impose uniformity across the country.
She said that democracy is under threat from the BJP and RSS in Mizoram, Northeast and across India.
“They value neither diversity, nor democracy, nor dialogue. They want to impose uniformity across India,” she said.
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Sonia Gandhi alleged that in the parliament, the BJP forces laws which weaken the rights of tribals to their lands and forests.
She said that the BJP has also divided society in Manipur.
“Six months of suffering have gone by. But there is no effort towards peace and reconciliation. The PM is completely silent and has not visited Manipur even for a few hours,” she said, adding that the BJP did not allow Mizoram MP to speak in the parliament on the Manipur issue.
In her three-minute video, Gandhi also recalled her personal bond with the people of Mizoram.
She mentioned the visits she made with her family in 1987 after the signing of the historic Mizoram peace accord.
She urged the people of Mizoram, particularly the youths and women, to vote for Congress to ensure peace, progress and prosperity in the state.
The former Congress president also said that only the Congress party can guarantee the development of Mizoram, empowerment of its people and protection for the weaker section of society.
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“We stand for the protection of the Mizo way of life as enshrined in article 371G of the constitution, which is the legacy of Rajiv Gandhi,” she said.
She also recalled how the party has fulfilled its promises made in other states including Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
Sonia Gandhi also hit out at the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) calling them gateways for the BJP to Mizoram.
“In Mizoram, the MNF and the ZPM say they are independent, “but are they really? No, I believe they are not. They are gateways for the BJP into Mizoram. The Congress party will never compromise with the BJP.” she said.
She also appealed to the people of Mizoram that they should not experiment with MNF and ZPM, which she called are BJP proxies.