As Modi’s Mizoram visit is cancelled, Congress links it to PM giving Manipur a miss

Mizoram BJP president Vanlalhmuaka confirmed that this visit is no longer taking place: “From what I have been told, it is because he has other engagements.”

Vanlalhmuaka said that while Home Minister Amit Shah is still expected to visit the state, he has not been informed of when that will be and which part of Mizoram Shah will visit.

“The Prime Minister was supposed to address a public meeting at the GSA playground in Mamit; we are continuing preparations to hold a rally there,” he said.

Mamit is one of the biggest focus areas for the BJP in the upcoming elections, for which voting will take place on November 7. The BJP does not have a strong presence in Mizoram and has only ever won one seat in state elections – from the Tuichawng constituency. Still struggling to find acceptability among the predominantly Christian Mizos, the party is targeting areas with sizeable members of the minority Bru and Chakma communities, such as the three constituencies in Mamit district.

The violence in Manipur has resonance in Mizoram since the Mizos and the Kuki-Zomis of Manipur share a common ethnicity and there has been strong support for the latter, both from the Mizo National Front government and the Mizo civil society.

“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… with what face, would he go to the rally in Mizoram?” said Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, who is currently on a visit to Mizoram.

MNF vice-president Lalthlengliana said Modi’s visit would have hardly helped the BJP. “They hardly have a presence in more than three or four constituencies and even in those it will be hard for them,” he said.