Congress hopes to make a comeback in Mizoram, its last lost state in Northeast

Mizoram was the last state the Congress lost in the Northeast, and if the party wins there, it may be the first to make a reappearance.

Senior Congress politician and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor thinks this.

In Aizawl on Saturday, Tharoor said, "Mizoram will be the first state to bring Congress back to power in the Northeast." 

"The party is strong.. all the opportunists would have left by now and members and candidates left are loyal to the Congress party and its ideology," Tharoor said.

Voting in Mizoram is scheduled on November 7.

"Mizoram has endured five years of ineffective governance. It's time for change, and it's critical that the ruling party choose experienced individuals to lead the state."

"The Congress is made up of skilled and experienced individuals who will look out for the state's overall welfare. "We prioritize high-quality funds generated and allocated within Mizoram," he said, emphasizing the need for Mizoram to elect Congress back to power. He also said that individuals had tried and tested it.

After two consecutive terms, the Mizo National Front (MNF) took over as the dominant party in 2018. Out of the 40 seats, it could only get five, while the MNF had 26.

Since the BJP swept to power in Delhi in 2014, the entrenched Congress fell to the BJP or its allies in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur (twice), Meghalaya, and Mizoram.

Despite Tharoor's assurance, political analysts and party insiders told The Telegraph that Congress will face a difficult challenge due to the rise of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which sapped Congress's support in 2018 and is now mounting a formidable opposition to the ruling MNF.

Rahul Gandhi's visit undoubtedly helped the Congress campaign, but it is ultimately up to the state leaders to carry it through. Given allegations of a power struggle inside the state unit, it is unclear how far they have progressed with it, a political observer said.

Most people think that increasing the size of the Congress will not even be considered a success. In the same manner as the two front-runners, the MNF and the ZPM, Congress is running for all 40 seats.

It may do well in the national elections in 2024 if it performs better and does well in the other four poll-bound states. There is one LS seat in Mizoram.

Since 1987, power has alternated between Congress and MNF, but the rise of ZPM in 2018 has left the Congress floundering, despite its supporters.

He also made fun of the ZPM.

A new political party is about to emerge, but nobody is really sure who they are or how they want to run the country. Who is in charge of them? Who is paying for them?

"Voting for ZPM would amount to a backdoor BJP vote. Voting for a well-established party that is aware of your requirements and is familiar with you is preferable in these uncertain times. A party with no shadowy figures operating behind the scenes," Tharoor said.

Attacking the BJP for "pushing" the one-nation, one culture, one religion, one election concept, Tharoor said that the Congress has always valued India's diversity and that "uniformity is not unity."

With just one seat gained in 2018 and a concentration on minority tribal regions, the BJP is a tiny factor in Mizoram, a state with a Christian majority. Within the Mizo community, there is a general "pain and anguish" over the Kuki-Zo people's suffering during the present conflict in Manipur.

"We also need to keep in mind that the national elections are coming up in a few months. It is the election that will save India's spirit. India's very concept is under danger. This is the moment to put an end to hateful politics," Tharoor said.

He claimed that the Transparency index, which is based on interviews with taxpayers and businesspeople, clearly shows that corruption has "soared" under the BJP and that the party has "constantly" broken its commitments.

The Congress spokesperson said that "the BJP has been using investigative agencies to their benefit."