Amidst the soaring temperature in the political domain in Mizoram, the state’s BJP unit chief J V Hulna has tickled the funny bone of the Congress party by stating that Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla of Congress wanted to join the BJP along with some other party MLAs before the election process started. Needless to say, the claim was denied by the grand old party terming it as a ‘joke’.
The Mizoram BJP president further claimed that most of the elected Congress MLAs will join his party after the poll results are out on December 11.
PTI quoted Hluna as saying, “Lal Thanhawla himself, before this election, and his followers contacted the central leadership (of BJP) to merge the whole Congress in the state, just like the Arunachal Pradesh. They were in contact with them”.
Asked further how he can be so sure about all the Congress MLAs joining the BJP, Hluna said: “May not all, but most of them… (will join) within this year.”
“They did not contact me, they contacted our leaders in Delhi. From them, I learnt that Lal Thanhawla was willing to join BJP”, said the BJP state chief.
Backing the BJP’s claims, a senior leader of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), said that the deal could not be made as the Congress leader’s “demands” were rejected by the BJP’s central leaders.
On condition of anonymity, an MNF leader, who is also contesting the Mizoram Assembly elections from a constituency in the capital city, claimed that Mr Thanhawla had contacted a senior central leader of the BJP and had sought the Chief Minister’s post for his daughter and the Governor’s post for himself in return of joining the BJP with party MLAs.
“But these demands were rejected outright,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Thanhawla, a nine-time MLA, has not yet reacted to the comments but the state’s finance minister, Lalsawta termed the allegations as the “funniest jokes ever known”.
“Don’t make me laugh. Many inventions are there, but that wild allegation, that is the funniest allegation I have ever known,” he said.
On claims about Congress MLAs joining BJP post-result, the leader said: “I have confidence in my colleagues, my Congress candidates. That is the second funniest joke you have given me this afternoon. You will be digging your own political grave if you join BJP once you get elected as a Congress MLA.”
Mr Lalsawta, however, said Mizoram would want to have cordial and good relationships with the Centre like any other state.
In the last two months, as many as 5 congress MLAs had left the party. When asked about, the minister said there have been various reasons.
“They did not find a promising constituency for themselves. They had to migrate,” he said.
Those having resigned include state’s home minister R Lalzirliana, former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo, former fisheries minister Buddha Dhan Chakma and MLA Hmingdailova Khiangte. Besides, Mizoram assembly speaker Hiphei resigned earlier this month to join the BJP.
A state where BJP has never been able to win the elections, Mizoram is the only north eastern state to be currently under Congress’ regime. Hence the saffron party is trying too hard to win the poll so that it can claim full dominance over this region. Earlier,BJP president Amit Shah declared that Mizoram, a Christian-majority state, will celebrate Christmas this December under the BJP rule.
The polls in the state will be held on November 28.