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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started its election campaign for the state of Meghalaya and Mizoram on December 16, 2017 through none other than Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi who is a charismatic leader and a great communicator. Even though the BJP has zero presence in the state of Meghalaya and Mizoram, yet, the party is confident of coming to power. The enthusiasm has gone up because of the twin victory in Himachal and Gujarat.
MIZORAM VISIT While in Mizoram, people resented that the Prime Minister visited the state for the first time after almost 4 years of taking office that too for 1 hour only. Local NGOs initially intended to boycott the visit of the Prime Minister which was later withdrawn. The Prime Minister dedicated 60 MW Tuirial Hydropower project to the nation which is considered a boon for the people of Mizoram. This has also made Mizoram a power surplus state, only after Sikkim and Tripura. “The completion of this project is a reflection of our commitment to completing the ongoing projects and ushering in a new era of development in the North East” said Mr. Modi. He also did not forget to remind the people of Mizoram that Act East Policy of Government of India will make Mizoram the gateway to the South East Asian countries. The Kaladam Multi-Model Transport Project, linking Aizawl with the Sittwe Port in Myanmar would provide a wide range of benefits to the state of Mizoram. In the developmental perspective, Mizoram which was isolated since the last 7 decades is going to be the Front Runner once the Kaladam Multi-Model Transport Project is completed in toto.
However, it is too early to say anything about the poll prospect of Mizoram in the perspective of BJP. It is true that Mizoram is a 100% Christian state where Church and NGOs play an important role in shaping the decision of the people. Secondly, Mizoram being a small state will always like to be a part of the government which can assist the state financially for development. It is a general perception (may not be true) that if the state and the Centre has the same political affiliation, then things become easier and better. Thirdly, political parties cannot ignore the Chakma crisis which also has a role to play besides many other local factors. We have to wait and watch for things to happen.
MEGHALAYA VISIT In Meghalaya the rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was named “A Rally for Change”. Change means the change of government and inching closer to “Congress Mukht Bharat”. We would like to remind our readers that Prime Minister Modi during his election campaign in 2014 called for “Congress Mukht Bharat” and he has come quite close to that. As of today, Congress is ruling Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab and Karnataka. The Prime Minister after returning from Aizawl unveiled a plaque for Shillong-Tura National Highway. Though the people started arriving at the venue as early as 7:30 AM, the Prime Minister arrived at around 1PM and delivered his speech for around 44 minutes, in which, he reminded the people about the efforts made by his government to help Meghalaya develop, including sanctioning of Rs.100 crore for development of Tourism in the state. He left no opportunities to criticize Congress government as expected, from appointment of school teachers, to the sorry state of affairs of Health Department in Meghalaya and said “The Chief Minister of Meghalaya is a doctor, but what is the state of the Health Sector in the state? Why are the people not getting proper health care? The wave for change, which began with the Assam election, is now reaching Meghalaya. The state can do wonders. 15 years of Congress rule has ruined Meghalaya”.
He further said “Northeast ko lekar pehlay ki sarkaron ka kya ravaiyya raha hai, usse aap achi tarah parichit rahein hai. Northeast mein yojnayein atke nahi, bhatke nahi, isliye hi 1972 mein northeast council ka gathan kia gaya tha. Lekin is council ko bhi gambhirta se nahi lia gaya (you are aware of the attitude of the previous governments towards Northeast. To avoid any delay in policies around Northeast, a Northeast Council was constituted in 1972 which was not taken seriously ),”
He also commented on Shillong-Nongstoin Road and said “ I have fond memories of last year and I am glad to have inaugurated 261 km long 2- laning of Shillong – Nongstoin section of NH 106 and Nongstoin – Ronjeng section of NH 127B which will serve as East-West Corridor”.
Initially there were confusion about entry points at the venue of the rally, Polo ground and it has been alleged that at several places, because of no-entry, people from the rural area could not get a glimpse of the Prime Minister. One BJP worker was heard at the spot saying that this is the dirty tricks of the ruling Congress party. It is yet to be seen whether “Time for Change, Time for BJP” becomes a reality or not.
Dr. K.K.Jhunjhunwala
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