Elections 2023 Highlights: Caste census, sops for farmers, free electricity, cooking gas subsidy feature in Cong’s Chhattisgarh manifesto

Ahead of the assembly elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a roadshow in Singrauli district.

VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh CM @ChouhanShivraj holds a roadshow in Singrauli district.#MadhyaPradeshElection2023 #AssemblyElectionsWithPTI
(Full video is available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRARJn4) pic.twitter.com/HBAGdvzw9d

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

Union Minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh was of 3 Cs - 'Cut, Commission and Corruption', PTI reported. "This government betrayed the people of the state during its tenure," Scindia said. Kamal Nath became the chief minister in December 2018 after the Congress won a narrow majority. However, his government collapsed in March 2020 after MLAs loyal to Scindia defected with the latter to the BJP.

VIDEO | "Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh was of 3Cs - 'Cut, Commission and Corruption'. This government betrayed the people of the state during its tenure," says Union minister @JM_Scindia at a rally in Morena.#MadhyaPradeshElections2023 #AssemblyElectionsWithPTI pic.twitter.com/DiIRYBMnCy

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

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— Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (@RLPINDIAorg) November 5, 2023

Atmosphere in the five poll-bound states is in favour of the Congress party, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said. "On the other hand, the BJP has been exposed by the way they are misusing ED during elections," he said. He further pointed out the allegations leveled by Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel against the Enforcement Directorate. "Now, the situation has come that a CM (Bhupesh Baghel) has alleged ED officials are bringing money into the states for the elections," Gehlot said, adding that it would affect the credibility of the agency. (PTI inputs)

VIDEO | "Atmosphere in all the poll-bound states is in the favour of the Congress. On the other hand, the BJP has been exposed by the way they are misusing ED during elections. Now, the situation has come that a CM (Bhupesh Baghel) has alleged ED officials are bringing money into… pic.twitter.com/2wU1xdXok1

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated the government’s decision to continue providing free foodgrains to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act for the next five years, as he focused on initiatives for the poor and issues related to tribal communities in a speech in the tribal-dominated Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh.

He also targeted the Congress, saying the party was focussed on the careers of its senior leaders’ sons in the state, and not on the coming Assembly election. In the Mahakoshal region, which includes Seoni district, the Congress had won 24 seats in the previous election, compared to the BJP’s 13. This was mostly due to the Congress’s strong showing in tribal-dominated seats. The BJP has been trying to swing those seats by focusing on welfare schemes and development programmes, and by celebrating tribal icons by renaming educational institutions and railways stations. Read more here

Prime Minister Modi said that the Congress party, during its rule, had made Madhya Pradesh a 'bimaru rajya' and had pushed the state into a big dicth through corruption and 'bhai bhatijawad'. "In the 21st century, we need to take Madhya Pradesh to new heights of development," he further said. 

#WATCH | Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "In the 21st century, we need to take Madhya Pradesh to new heights of development...Congress made MP a 'bimaaru rajya'. Congress through its corruption and 'bhai bhatijawad' had pushed MP in a big ditch." pic.twitter.com/uEG06w32M5

— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2023

Congress's manifesto, released ahead of the assembly elections, was in regards to the welfare of the people of the state, news agency PTI quoted Chattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo as saying. The manifesto has policies related to middle-income, BPL, and APL families, women, and farmers," said Singhdeo.

VIDEO | "Congress manifesto in Chhattisgarh is regarding the welfare of the people. The manifesto has policies related to middle-income, BPL, and APL families, women, and farmers," says Deputy CM @TS_SinghDeo on the release of his party's manifesto for assembly polls.… pic.twitter.com/Mm7toNzKev

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress is desperate to form a government in Madhya Pradesh because it wants to make the state its ATM. Modi was addressing a rally at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.

VIDEO | "Congress is desperate to form the government in Madhya Pradesh because it wants to make the state its ATM to loot the state for Lok Sabha elections," says PM Modi at a rally in Khandwa.#MadhyaPradeshElections2023 #AssemblyElectionsWithPTI pic.twitter.com/rpLXtLcELl

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

Speaking on the assembly elections in the state, Mizoram Congress President Pu Lalsawta said that the party is expecting to form government in the state. 'The last five years have been a disaster for the MNF (Mizo National Front) and more so for the people of Mizoram', Lawsawta said. 

#WATCH | On Mizoram elections on November 7, Mizoram Congress president Lalsawta says, 'We are expecting to form the government. We will get the majority. I think we'll be getting 26 (seats). The last five years have been a disaster for the people of Mizoram because the… pic.twitter.com/UQN7cm4tg6

— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2023

With the first phase of the Chattisgarh Assembly elections round the corner, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a roadshow at Rajnandgaon in Chattisgarh.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh CM and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath holds roadshow in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh#ChhattisgarhElection2023 pic.twitter.com/Fwh7N1DTZC

— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2023

Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that infrastructure was a constant focus of the Congress-led government in the state, news agency PTI reported. Baghel added that this had led to benefits for the youth, women, labourers, and farmers among others.

VIDEO | "There has been a constant focus of our government on infrastructure in Chhattisgarh. It has benefitted the youth, women, labourers, and farmers among others," says CM @bhupeshbaghel as Congress releases party manifesto for assembly polls.#ChhattisgarhElections2023… pic.twitter.com/iAqiQLsO20

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 5, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the BJP is committed to create a “marvellous Mizoram” and the people of the poll-bound state are like his family members. Addressing the people of the northeastern state, Modi, in a video message, said the BJP-led central government has taken various steps to improve the state's infrastructure in regards to railway, health, sports, and others. (PTI)

Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel released the Congress party's manifesto for the Chattisgarh Assembly elections. While Baghel spoke about caste-based census if voted back to power in the state, here are the other key promises made by the party in its manifesto.

• Farmers to get Rs 3200 per quintal against paddy procurement in Chhattisgarh
• Tendu leaf collection to be done at Rs 6000 per standard sack
• Tendu leaf collectors to also get annual bonus of Rs 4000
• Farm loan waiver
• Free electricity up to 200 units
• Rs 500 subsidy on cooking gas cylinder to women

(With PTI inputs)

Congress party never bothered about the welfare of Tribals despite ruling the country for over five decades," said PM Modi said at a rally in Seoni, as he hit out at the Opposition.

In Seoni, Madhya Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "It is the guarantee of the people that BJP is going to win (Assembly elections). Our Madhya Pradesh needs continuity in good governance and development. The entire state says if there is BJP, there is trust, if there is BJP, there is development, if there is BJP, there is better future."

PM Modi addressed a rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni, where he reiterated the extension the free ration (food grains under the public distribution system) scheme for “80 crore poor people of the country” for five years beyond December. After this, the PM will address a gathering in Khandwa.

PM Modi is addressing a rally in MP's Seoni.

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— BJP Madhya Pradesh (@BJP4MP) November 5, 2023

After failing to reach a seat sharing agreement with the Congress, the CPI(M) in Telangana on Sunday announced its first list of 14 candidates for the Legislative Assembly polls.

CPI(M) state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram would contest from Palair in Khammam district, while former MLA Julakanti Ranga Reddy would seek re-election from Miryalguda.

Veerabhadram told reporters that the party had earlier announced its decision to contest from 17 seats. He said the party is holding discussions on fielding candidates from a couple of more seats. Polling for the 119-member Telangana Assembly would be held on November 30. (PTI)

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani reaches Raipur airport. Union Minister Smriti Irani will attend a public meeting at Kondagaon today.

#WATCH | Chhattisgarh: Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani reaches Raipur airport.

Union Minister Smriti Irani will attend a public meeting at Kondagaon today. pic.twitter.com/i66o8DAqFh

— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2023

In the run-up to the November 25 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Opposition BJP has stepped up its attack on the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government over various paper leak scams that plagued it in the last few years.

A year after the Gehlot government was voted to power, the recruitment exam for grade-III librarians was cancelled in December 2019 over a leaked question paper. It dealt a huge blow to the nearly 55,000 candidates who had applied for 700 vacant posts.

In September 2021, the Bikaner police arrested seven persons for allegedly leaking the question paper of the sub-inspector recruitment examination. In the same month, the government suspended internet across Rajasthan to prevent cheating during the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) -levels I and II examinations. The move sparked a huge controversy. Read More

During his recent whirlwind tour of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to dissident BJP leaders while asking the party unit to step up its efforts for the November 17 Assembly elections. Shah also asked the state BJP leaders to focus on seats where triangular contests are expected, especially those where the Congress could be damaged.

Upset over denial of tickets, several leaders from the BJP and the Congress have either joined other parties or entered the fray as Independents. These rebel leaders — at least a dozen from both the parties — have emerged as a significant factor in the polls, upsetting some of their calculations in a largely bipolar battle. Here is a look at some of the seats where these rebels may play a key role. Read More

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking why he identifies himself as an Other Backward Class (OBC) member when he considers poor as the only caste in the country.

Addressing a public meeting at Jagdalpur in the tribal-dominated Bastar division of poll-bound Chhattisgarh, Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of insulting tribals by referring to them as 'vanvasis' instead of 'adivasis', and said his party will eliminate the term 'vanvasi' from the country.

"BJP leaders use vanvasi term for adivasi in their speeches. Narendra Modi and RSS have coined this new term vanvasi. There is a huge difference between the terms vanvasi and adivasi. In Madhya Pradesh, a BJP leader urinated on a tribal youth and filmed the act then made it viral...This is the mindset of the BJP. They think that your place is in the forest like animals and they treat you like animals," he added.

"Have you ever seen BJP leaders urinating on animals? But you have seen them urinating on an adivasi. Adivasi is a revolutionary word...Adivasis are the original owners of the country. BJP does not use this word because if they do, they'll have to return your land, water, and forests to you," he said. (PTI)

Terming the Mizoram assembly polls as "dress rehearsal" for Lok Sabha elections next year, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will form the next government in the northeastern state.

Addressing a press conference in Aizawl, the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala asserted that Mizoram will be the first state in the Northeast where the Congress will return to power after 2014, when the BJP formed the government at the Centre. Tharoor said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year will be nothing less than a "struggle for saving India's soul".

Mizoram was the last Congress-ruled state in the Northeast before the party lost power to the Mizo National Front (MNF) in the 2018 assembly polls. MNF is a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). (PTI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Congress follows "4Cs, namely corruption, commission, communalism and criminalisation" and said the party disrespected eminent jurist and social reformer Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Addressing a rally in Karera area in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, where elections will be held on November 17, Shah said the Congress will stop welfare schemes if it came to power.

"The Congress follows 4Cs, namely corruption, commission, communal riots, and criminalisation. The Congress disrespected Babasaheb Ambedkar but roams around carrying his photograph. The Congress did not give him Bharat Ratna and always conspired to ensure he never reached Parliament," Shah claimed. "Our government came to power and we bestowed Bharat Ratna on Babasaheb Ambedkar (in 1990 when a non-Congress National Front government also including the BJP under VP Singh was in place)," he added.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said surgical strikes were carried out in September 2016 on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir to avenge the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers lost their lives. (PTI)

With the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) opting out of the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana, a slew of leaders from other parties are now attempting to woo pro-TDP voters of Andhra Pradesh-origin in the state, praising TDP supremo and ex-chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and condemning the YSRCP-led AP government’s crackdown on him.

When Naidu was granted a temporary bail on October 31 after being imprisoned for 53 days — following his arrest by the Andhra Pradesh police in the alleged State Skill Development Corporation scam — there were celebrations across Hyderabad and Khammam regions in Telangana with many leaders joining them.

The first Telangana leader to come out in support of Naidu after his September 9 arrest was the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS)-led government’s senior minister, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who not only attended an “I am with Chandrababu” protest organised by the AP-origin tech industry workers in Hyderabad, but also praised the TDP chief as a “visionary” while calling his arrest “unfortunate”. Read More

Amid allegations against him in connection with the ‘Mahadev' betting app, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday asked why the Centre was “not taking any action” against its promoters.

Talking to reporters in Raipur, he described the ED's press note released on Friday over its money laundering probe into the betting app as the BJP's second election manifesto. “These (BJP) people cannot fight directly so they resorted to ED and I-T to contest elections. Yesterday, two BJP manifestos were released. The first one was in Hindi on the letterhead of the BJP, while the other one was in English on the letterhead of ED,” he said responding to a query on the betting app case.

In its press note, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a ‘cash courier' had led to “startling allegations” that the promoters of the Mahadev betting app paid about Rs 508 crore to the Chhattisgarh chief minister so far, and that “these are subject matter of investigation”. (PTI)

In the five poll-bound states, election-related seizures, ranging from cash to liquor to narcotics, have more than tripled this time as compared to the 2018 Assembly elections.

According to the Election Commission (EC) officials, Rs 953.34 crore in cash and other “poll inducements” have been seized so far from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on October 9. Apart from cash, these seizures include jewellery, precious metals, liquor, drugs, gadgets and household items.

In contrast, over the entire 2018 poll campaign period in these states, seizures worth a total of Rs 288.58 crore were made. The poll seizures this time have thus already risen by more than Rs 660 crore as compared to the previous polls, even as the campaigning will continue through this month in most of these states. Read More

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday guaranteed loan waiver for farmers in Chhattisgarh, procurement of 20 quintals of paddy per acre and a salary increase from Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000 per year for agricultural labourers if his party returns to power in the state.

Gandhi promised this in a post on X along with a video of his recent interaction with paddy farmers and agricultural labourers in Kathiya village of Chhattisgarh.

Last Sunday, he had helped some cultivators at the village near Raipur in harvesting paddy and said the pro-farmer 'model' of his party's government in Chhattisgarh will be replicated across India. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy CM T S Singh Deo had accompanied Gandhi. (PTI)

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— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 4, 2023

Speaking at a press conference, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor expressed optimism that the Congress party is poised to claim victory and form the next government in Mizoram. 

He asserted that Mizoram will be the first state in the Northeast where the Congress will return to power after 2014, when the BJP formed the government at the Centre, news agency PTI reported.

Mizoram was the last Congress-ruled state in the Northeast before the party lost power to the Mizo National Front (MNF) in the 2018 assembly polls.

"The Congress will oppose one nation, one language, one code and one culture. We are against uniformity. We believe that we can be united while maintaining our diversity," he said.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, speaking at an election rally in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, expressed concerns about the Congress' alleged intentions to foster corruption in the state instead of prioritising its development.

"Congress doesn't want development, it wants to make Chhattisgarh a corruption hub. Let's not allow this to happen. We have to establish Chhattisgarh as a new example of development," he said. 

During his address in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi accused the Opposition of hindering the progress and improvement of the poor.

"Congress does not want the poor to prosper, it does not want their condition to improve. Political parties hatching new conspiracies to divide poor, and spreading poison of casteism" PM Modi targets Opposition in Chhattisgarh.

PM Narendra Modi, in a public address at Durg, Chhattisgarh, said the biggest caste in the country is poor and "Modi is their 'sevak' (servant)"

During a public rally in Durg, Chhattisgarh, PM Modi said, "The Congress constantly abuses Modi. Now, the CM has begun criticising the country's investigative bodies. However, I want to assure the people of Chhattisgarh that Modi isn't afraid of criticism. You entrusted Modi to address corruption in Delhi."

Following the Enforcement Directorate’s claim that the Mahadev betting app promoters had allegedly paid Rs 508 crore to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a public address at Durg, Chhattisgarh, criticised the Congress-led state government. “We all know money is going all the way to the top,” he said. PM Modi, further, added that the “Congress is looting from Chhattisgarh’s people and filling their coffers.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to a girl named Akanksha who had held up a sketch of his, that she had drawn, at his rally in Kanker, Chhattisgarh on November 2.

In the Kanker rally on November 2, a young girl was seen holding up a sketch of the the Prime Minister even as he addressed the rally, news agency ANI reported.

PM Modi saw the sketch in the crowd and asked his team to collect the sketch from the young girl.

Speaking from the stage, PM Modi promised the girl that he would write her a letter and requested her to sit down. The Prime Minister accepted the sketch from her and told her to leave her correspondence address with him so that he could write to her.

In his letter Prime Minister Modi thanked the girl named Akanksha from Kanker, Chhattisgarh.

PM Modi wrote, "Dear Akanksha, Good luck and blessings. The sketch you brought to Kanker's program has reached me. Thank you very much for this loving expression." "May you move forward with great success and bring glory to your family, society and country with your successes. With best wishes for your future" the PM further wrote.

"The next 25 years are going to be important for young daughters like you. In these years, our young generation, especially daughters like you, will fulfil their dreams and provide a new direction for the future of the country," he added.

"India's daughters are the bright future of the country. This affection and belongingness that I receive from all of you is my strength in the service of the nation. Our aim has been to build a healthy, safe and well-equipped nation for our daughters." PM Modi said in the letter addressed to Akanksha. (with ANI inputs)

The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of using hawala money brought by illegal betting operators to fund its poll campaign in Chhattisgarh as it targeted Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the allegation that he received over Rs 500 crore kickback, news agency PTI reported.

At a press conference, Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged that CM Baghel fought the elections not with the people's support but allegedly with the backing of hawala and betting operators.

"Never before in our electoral history had people seen such evidence," she said.

Irani, further, said the Enforcement Directorate's probe is based on the details of investigations by police in Chhattisgarh as well as Andhra Pradesh and asked if Baghel is putting his own government in the dock.

VIDEO | "I want to pose a few questions to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and Congress. Is it true that Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh received money from Asim Das via Shubham Soni? Is it true that Asim Das was given an order via voice note to go to Raipur and give Bhupesh… pic.twitter.com/GkhshndcwD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 4, 2023

The ‘Maharaja of Gwalior’ rallied his troops for war. “Mera senapati apne qila ka hifazat karega (My commanders will protect the fort),” Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the 52-year-old scion of Gwalior’s erstwhile royal family, said as he addressed BJP workers at Piprai village in Madhya Pradesh’s Ashok Nagar district on October 29. Scindia spots a party worker in the crowd sipping water and addresses him directly, “My commander, you can drink water later; now is the time for war.”

Around 250 km away, atop a hill, lies the Raghogarh fort, where the traditional opponents of the Gwalior royal family have set in motion a plan to unseat Scindia and the ruling BJP from the Gwalior-Chambal region.

Clutching a walkie-talkie in his hand, Jaivardhan Singh, the 37-year-old son of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh and heir to the erstwhile Raghogarh princely state of the Gwalior Residency, is busy surveying the seats where rebel candidates of the Congress might damage the party’s prospects.

“There is an undercurrent in this election,” says Jaivardhan as he turns off his walkie-talkie to talk to The Indian Express. “Our main strategy is to take the message to every home in Gwalior-Chambal that Scindia backstabbed the people’s mandate, which is the biggest sin.”

Read on

After joining Congress, former BJP MLA Kamlesh Suman said that the BJP is not "functioning properly now and Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds full control of the party (in Madhya Pradesh)."

VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh elections 2023: "I have spent my entire life in BJP, I was also an MLA from 2008 to 2013. However, the BJP is not functioning properly now and Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds full control of the party (in Madhya Pradesh). This is why I have decided to join… pic.twitter.com/fOqGd1HkO2

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 4, 2023

A total of 100 candidates filed their nomination papers on the first day of nomination on November 3 for the upcoming assembly polls in Telangana, news agency PTI reported.

Telangana PCC president A Revanth Reddy (Kodangal) and Tummala Nageswara Rao (Khammam) were among those who filed nominations on Friday.

Election Commission of India issued notification for Telangana Assembly polls to be held on November 30, which was published in Telangana Gazette.

According to the notification, the nomination filing process for the poll began and they would be accepted from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm on working days till November 10.

In response to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's criticism of the Congress, Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former CM Kamal Nath stated, "Jyotiraditya (Scindia) can say whatever he wants, public is witness to how he benefitted from our government (when he was with Congress). People know this. So, I don't need to respond to this..."

#WATCH | On Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's criticism of Congress, Madhya Pradesh Congress president and former CM Kamal Nath says, "Jyotiraditya (Scindia) can say whatever he wants, public is witness to how he benefitted from our government (when he was with Congress).… pic.twitter.com/Hn2ebVySsh

— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2023

Prahlad Patel is one of the three Union ministers the BJP has fielded in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections apart from Narendra Singh Tomar and Faggan Singh Kulaste. This is seen as a move that has blown the field wide open for the choice of chief minister if the BJP returns to power.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Indian Express, Patel talks about the party’s strategy, Kamal Nath’s statement on Rajiv Gandhi’s role in opening the doors of the Ayodhya Ram temple, and the Opposition’s caste census demand.

Read the excerpts here

Hello! Welcome to The Indian Express live blog on Assembly elections! Watch this space for all-round updates from the five poll-bound states -- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram.