Mizoram: BJP Says Lal Thanhawla Wanted to Join Them

Guwahati: With the campaigning fever for the ensuing Assembly elections in Mizoram taking a toll in the state, the state's BJP unit chief J V Hulna has claimed that Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla of Congress wanted to join the BJP along with some other party MLAs before the poll process started. Congress on the otherhand, has dismissed the claim as 'joke'

The Mizoram BJP president while interacting with the media also claimed that most of the elected Congress MLAs will join his party after the poll results for the state are out on December 11. The elections are scheduled to be held on November 28 for 40 assembly states of the state, where the Congress has been in power since 2008.

"Lal Thanhawla himself, before this election, and his followers contacted the central leadership (of BJP) to merge the whole Congress in the state, just like the Arunachal Pradesh. They were in contact with them," Hulna said.

"They did not contact me, they contacted our leaders in Delhi. From them, I learnt that Lal Thanhawla was willing to join BJP," he added

It may be mentioned that the BJP has never won an assembly election in this small Northeastern hill state with a population of just about 10 lakh people, including nearly 7.68 lakh voters. However, the BJP who is in the helm of power in all other six North Eastern states either by winning polls or joining ruling alliances is seeing this poll as the "final frontier" in the North-East. BJP president Amit Shah recently declared that Mizoram, a Christian-majority state, will celebrate Christmas this December under the BJP rule.

A senior leader of the principal opposition party in Mizoram, Mizo National Front (MNF), also made similar allegations against the chief minister and said that the deal fell through as the Congress leader's "demands" were rejected by the BJP's central leaders.

However, a senior minister of the Lal Thanhawla Cabinet termed the allegations as the "funniest jokes ever known".

An MNF leader, who is also contesting the Mizoram Assembly elections from a constituency in the capital city, on condition of anonymity, claimed that Mr Thanhawla had contacted a senior central leader of the BJP and had sought the Chief Minister's post for his daughter and the Governor's post for himself in return of joining the BJP with party MLAs."But these demands were rejected outright," he said.

When asked about these claims, Mr Hluna said: "These points, I don't know. But I know that he (Mr Thanhawla) had contacted (Home Minister) Rajnath Singh. And from them, I learnt Lal Thanhawla did not mind joining BJP. That's the thing. But his demands, I do not know."

Going a step further, the state BJP president asserted that most of the elected Congress MLAs after the results are declared will join the BJP as Thanhawla's "ideology is to join central ruling party, whether Congress or BJP".

"So after elections, all elected MLAs of Congress will join our party. They will merge with our party, if they really follow Lal Thanhawla's teaching," he said.

Asked further how can he be so sure about all the Congress MLAs joining the BJP, Hluna said: "May not all, but most of them... (will join) within this year."

The former MLA said that for the benefit of the Mizo people, the ideology of any chief minister, whether he from the Congress or the MNF or the BJP, is to be with the ruling party at the Centre as Mizoram is a very poor and interior state.

On the otherhand, the state's Finance Minister Lalsawta strongly dismissing these claims said, "Don't make me laugh. Many inventions are there, but that wild allegation, that is the funniest allegation I have ever known," he said.

On claims about Congress MLAs joining BJP post-result, the senior ruling party leader said: "I have confidence in my colleagues, my Congress candidates. That is the second funniest joke you have given me this afternoon. You will be digging your own political grave if you join BJP once you get elected as a Congress MLA."

Mr Lalsawta, however, said Mizoram would want to have cordial and good relationships with the Centre like any other state.

It may be mentioned that at least five Congress MLAs have resigned from the assembly and the party in the run-up to the polls and joined other parties.

Those having resigned include state's home minister R Lalzirliana, former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo, former fisheries minister Buddha Dhan Chakma and MLA Hmingdailova Khiangte. Besides, Mizoram assembly speaker Hiphei resigned earlier this month to join the BJP.

With days left for the elections, Congress and the MNF are leaving no stones unturned to woo the voters, while BJP has launched a spirited campaign to get power in this strategically important North Eastern state.

Also Read: BJP seeks Reang refugees’ vote in Mizoram Assembly polls