Aizawl: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today arrived at Manipur’s capital Aizawl to campaign for party candidates for the November 7 assembly elections. Gandhi started a padayatra (campaign while walking) in the northeastern state. The senior Congress leader will be in Aizawl for two days.
Gandhi arrived in Aizawl aboard a helicopter from Tripura’s capital Agartala, Mizoram Congress media cell chairman Lalremruata Renthlei said.
Gandhi undertake a padayatra (march) from Chanmari junction to Raj Bhavan, a distance of around 4-5 km, and address a rally near the governor’s house. In the evening, Gandhi will interact with the students.On Tuesday, he will meet party leaders and address a press conference in Aizawl, Renthlei said.He will also visit Lunglei town in the southern part of the state and hold a public meeting there.Rahul Gandhi will leave for Delhi via Agartala by a chopper from Lunglei tomorrow (17 October).Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly will be held in a single phase on November 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Political parties, churches, civil society organisations and student bodies have urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reschedule the vote counting date as it falls on Sunday, which is a sacred day for the Christian community of the state. Christians account for around 87 per cent of Mizoram’s population.
Rahul Gandhi who was speaking at a rally in Mizoram on Monday, attacked the ruling government of carrying out violence across the country.
Taking out his barrage of words against the BJP, the Congress leader stated that the government has spread violence across the state country and destroyed the idea of Manipur and that it is no more a state but two states.
Hitting out at PM Modi for not paying attention to what is happening in Manipur but more interested in what is happening in Israel, Rahul Gandhi said, “They attack different communities, different religion, they spread violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding, and this is completely against the idea of INDIA. Because the idea of India we believe is the one that respects everybody, protects everybody. Some months ago I went to Manipur and I couldn’t believe what I saw. The idea of Manipur has been destroyed by the BJP. it is no longer a state, it is now two states. People have been murdered, women have been molested, babies killed but the PM does not find it important to travel to the state. It is amazing to me that the PM and the government is so interested in what is happening in Israel but not interested in Manipur”
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) have already announced the names of their candidates for all 40 seats.
Congress said that it will also contest all the seats and is likely to release the candidate list during Gandhi’s visit. The BJP said that it will announce the names of its candidates for 40 assembly seats in the next two to three days.
The BJP appointed Union minister Kiren Rijiju as the party’s election in-charge for Mizoram where assembly polls will be held on November 7.
BJP national secretary Anil Antony and Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton will serve as the party’s co-in-charges for the elections in Mizoram, the party said in a statement.
The BJP also appointed Jatinder Pal Malhotra as the party’s Chattigarh unit president, according to another statement issued by party national general secretary and headquarters in-charge Arun Singh.
All these appointments have been cleared by BJP chief J P Nadda, the party said.