PM Modi cancels his election campaign in Mizoram; Congress calls it fear of backlash of Manipur violence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has canceled his planned trip to poll-bound Mizoram without giving any official reason. He was supposed to campaign at Mamit on October 30. Sources from the state unit of BJP claim, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit the state and fill in for the Prime Minister. His dates, however, are yet to be confirmed. “We were told PM will not come and the Home Minister will be coming instead, nothing much has been told to us” said Mizoram BJP president Vanlalhmuaka.

Shah is likely to visit the Southern part of the state and Mamit. The BJP, which contested 39 seats in the last Assembly elections in 2018, has fielded 23 nominees this time. BJP was in alliance with the Mizo National Front for NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance). However, after the violence in Manipur, MNF Chief and Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had openly criticised BJP’s handling of the situation.

On Friday, BJP National President JP Nadda released the party's manifesto for the Assembly elections in Mizoram, pledging that 33 percent of government jobs will be reserved for women. Nadda also promised to solve the long-standing border dispute with neighbouring Assam but he too gave no reasoning behind the cancellation of PM Modi’s visit.

Opposition parties were quick to link it with Manipur violence since PM Modi never visited the strife-torn state in more than four months since violence first erupted on May 3. Silence of the PM for over two months had been criticised widely. Several people from Manipur had even taken refuge in neighbouring Mizoram trying to escape from the flames of violence.

“The Prime Minister was to address an election rally in Mizoram on October 30. But now there are reports that he has cancelled his visit. Could it be because questions would be raised that he had not found time to visit the deeply troubled neighbouring state that has been on the deep edge for almost 180 days. How can he come and with what face, would he go to the rally in Mizoram?” said Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, who is currently touring Mizoram.