Congress Faces Uphill Task to Retain Its Last Bastion in N-E

Guwahati, November 23: It is a tiny state with only 40 Assembly constituencies which are of not much significance when considered in respect of national political canvass under ordinary circumstances. However, Mizoram Assembly election slated for 2018 is of much political importance in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha election early next year especially for arch rivals Congress and the BJP and more so for Mizo regional party, Mizo National Front (MNF) which is desperately looking forward for its resurrection after remaining out of power for a decade since 2008.

For the ruling Congress in Mizoram led by chief minister and veteran leader Lal Thanhawla, it is a tough fight to retain power in the face of renewed challenge from the MNF and high-voltage campaign by the BJP that is striving hard to open its account in the Christian state as part of its mission to oust Congress from the region.

For Congress president Rahul Gandhi, it is a battle of prestige before the Lok Sabha election 2019 to retain the Congress’ last bastion in Northeast that has been largely conquered by the BJP along with its regional allies. Among the all the eight N-E states the BJP is either heading the government or is part of the ruling coalition as on date except in Mizoram.

The Congress which has launched a countrywide tirade against the BJP, can’t afford to lose Mizoram in the run-up to 2019 Lok Sabha polls as it would devastate the morale of party workers and once again questions on the leadership capability of Rahul Gandhi.

For the MNF which has preferred to go it alone in the fray sans a formal alliance with the BJP, the Assembly polls 2018 is crucial for it to come back to the power in the frontier hill state capitalizing on the anti-incumbency working against the ruling Congress.

The Congress came to power in 2008 with 32 seats and claimed 34 seats in 2013. The Mizo National Front, on the other hand, managed to win only five seats.

However, Congress faces an uphill task basically for two reasons -- no party has remained in power for more than two consecutive terms in Mizoram; Secondly, the high unemployment rate despite high literacy, poor infrastructure, a series of resignations including the speaker, Home Minister, and MLAs in the run-up to the Assembly polls are working against the Congress.

Mizoram, which sends two representatives to the Parliament - one to Lok Sabha and one to Rajya Sabha, has conventionally been ruled by two parties- Indian National Congress (INC) and Mizo National Front (MNF).

For the BJP, which has cut its teeth in state politics of Christian Mizoram, win even in a few constituencies out of the 39 it is contesting, will be of tremendous morale-boosting worth before the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. In the event of a hung Assembly after the polls, the BJP with a few seats in its kitty may be in a position to influence government formation as it has done in Meghalaya and Nagaland.