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voting machines (EVM) in a free & fair (MNF) returned to the mainstream as a In the last Assembly polls, they had to ning 109 seats securing 41 per cent votes.
atmosphere. Need not to mention that registered political party and even ruled vote in the camps, but this time special ar- The BJP sources attribute 1.4 per cent loss
Mizoram is recognized as one of the most the State for some time. After Laldenga, his rangements were made in Mamit district of votes that opted NOTA.
peaceful and literate States in the country, deputy Zoram Thanga started leading the with 15 temporary polling stations so that In Rajasthan, where Yogi addressed
where most residents can understand and party. Zoram Thanga also ruled the State they could vote. most of the rallies, BJP was victorious in
even speak English. as a chief minister for two terms defeating The Bru (also known as Riyang) people 11 of the 22 seats. The vote sharing of BJP
Mostly covered by hilly terrains, the the Congress. left Mizoram as ethnic clashes erupted in was 38.8 whereas Congress won 99 seats
State with an area of around 21,087 square Besides him, the other MNF nominees 1997, when the majority Mizo community with vote share of just 39.3 per cent. BJP
kilometers has around 10 lakh population who had the last laughs include Lalrint- targeted Bru families. They took shelter in had to face anger against its chief minister
where 60 per cent of them are dependent luanga Sailo, H Lalzirliana, K Lalrinli- northern Tripura and talks are still going Vasundhara Raje Scindia who became
on agriculture, mostly the Jhum (slash & ana, Lalrinsanga Ralte, Lalchhandama on for complete resettlement of those Yogi Adityanath very unpopular in the public due to her
burn) cultivation. It is almost a homog- Ralte, Lalrinliana Sailo, R Lalzirliana, C families inside Mizoram. Besides Brus, downplays BJP’s autocratic style of functioning as com-
loss in recent polls
enous society as 94 per cent of Mizoram Lalmuanpuia, Robert Romawia Royte, the Chakma people in south Mizoram, pared to Shivraj Singh or Raman Singh.
residents are tribal and over 80 percent is F Lalnunmawia, Lalruatkima, L Thang- both of whom are not Christians by their The campaigning route of Yogi Adity-
Christian with few minority communities mawia, Tawnluia, ZR Thiamsanga, TJ religion, were targeted by the saffron party anath in Rajasthan was designed after a
including Chakma and Bru. Lalnuntluanga, Ramthanmawia, ER Lal- leadership. espite setback in three well-researched input where his hardcore
The State has more women electorate rinawma, Lalchamliana, R Lalthangliana, The poll campaigns were charged by a crucial cow belt states in YOGI’S Hindutva image could benefit prospects
(3,94,897) than their male counterparts. Vanlaltanpuia, Lawmawma Tochhawng, C number of heavyweights from outside the recently held assembly of the party. It showed mixed response.
As per the 2011 Census, Mizoram recorded Lalrinsanga, K Pachhunga, H Biakzaua, K Mizoram, where the BJP made the mark D elections, the BJP strategists Yogi’s style of polarizing even fetched divi-
976 females per 1,000 males (better than with the presence of its national president do not accept it as tactical mistake to CAMPAIGN dends in Muslim dominated Ajmer Sharif
the national statistic of 943 per 1,000). Mizoram has earned Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra play their hardcore Hindutva agenda. where BJP won north and south Ajmer
But amazingly, even though there is Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Sin- The impact of hectic campaigning by seats besides adjoining Hindu pilgrimage
more women voters, very few female appreciations for the gh, DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh with UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s in Pushkar and Jaitaran seats. His controver-
candidates come forward to participate Assam’s powerful minister and Northeast these states proved to be a blessing in HELPED BJP sial utterances drew public bashing but he
in the polls. remarkably peaceful Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener disguise for the BJP to give a neck- got credit of winning difficult seats for the
Surprisingly various political parties Himanta Biswa Sarma. For the Congress to-neck fight, despite heavy anti- party including Ambar, Udaypur, Malvi,
also avoid their candidatures. This time elections, where over it was only president Rahul Gandhi who incumbency factor working against Nagaur, Churu, Alwar Urban and Ramganj
only 15 women were offered party tickets 80 percent electorate campaigned for his party candidates. its regional leadership. BJP got overall GET 50% Mandi despite heavy anti-incumbency
out of over 200 candidates. The BJP nomi- The aggressive campaigns by the BJP 50 per cent success wherever saffron factor.
nated highest number (six) of women can- out of over 7,70,000 leadership were aimed to throw the clad poll star Yogi campaigned. His Party sources revealed that Chhat-
didates, where as the Congress put only Congress rule from the region, which campaigning improved BJP tally. tisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had
one candidate. The MNF list was out of any voters exercised their was already saffronised. Prior to 2014, Yogi was the star campaigner, con- SUCCESS sought Adityanath’s blessings by touching
woman candidate. Zoram Thar forwarded franchise the Congress ruled in six states of the sidered one of the forceful hardline his feet before filing his nomination pa-
five lady nominees, where Zoram People’s region except Tripura and Sikkim. Now campaigners for the party, addressed pers and kicking off his election campaign
Movement (ZPM) fielded two and NCP the nationalist party has overpowered the more than 67-70 rallies over the in anticipation of a comeback, as he is also
one woman candidate. No independent Congress to establish its (along with the past two months in poll bound four Though it lost three crucial the head priest of Gorakhpur-based muth
woman candidate was also in the fray. Beichhua etc. allys) governments in Assam, Arunachal states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, states, BJP strategists do not of Nath community who has considerable
Notably Mizoram, since its Statehood in The BJP achieved success with the victo- Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland Telangana and Chhattisgarh. The following in the state. Yogi’s campaign, led
1972, has witnessed only four women have ry Buddha Dan Chakma from Tuichawng and Tripura. Sikkim, being a part of NEDA, central leadership of party is busy in accept it as tactical mistake by several controversial statements failed
so far got elected to the Assembly. The Assembly constituency, where the also comes under the same umbrella. reading the mandate and its fallout to play their hardcore to do much for his party in Chhattisgarh
first woman legislator was Ms Thanmawii Congress saved its face with the victory At last, but not the least, one may notice on 2019 general elections. The per- and Telangana where harping on Hindu-
(elected in 1978). The second one was Ms of Lalrindika Ralte, Zodintluanga Ralte, that most of the newly elected representa- formance of Madhya Pradesh chief Hindutva agenda, writes tva, construction of the Ram temple in and
K Thanslami (1984) and third legislator Nihar Kanti Chakma, C Ngunlianchunga tives to Mizoram Assembly irrespective of minister Shivraj Singh was not as bad MUDIT MATHUR changing names of cities could not muster
Lalhlimpuii Hmar (1987) became the first and KT Rokhaw. The others, who emerged their party differences, are millionaires. as his debacle was attributed to anti- the support of voters.
woman minister of Mizoram. Vanlalawm- winners in the polls, include Lalduhoma, According to Mizoram Election Watch incumbency factor as he fought tooth Party insiders are busy in interpreting
puii Chawngthu, who won a bye-election Andrew H Thangliana, Vanlalhlana, VL (MEW) and Association for Democratic and nail on each and every seat. Now micro factors for their debacle and feel
in 2014 and become the second woman Zaithanzama, C Lalsawivunga, Lalchhuan- Reforms (ADR), which had analysed the BJP has been compelled to relook the the only state where Bharatiya Janata Par- threatened with the possibility of all the
minister of the State. Ms Chawngthu was thanga etc. self-sworn affidavits of 40 elected legisla- policies and programmes of Modi ty gave a tough fight to Congress. In a nail secular forces coming together to give
the lone woman legislator in the outgoing The BJP mostly banked hope on minor- tors, 36 were declared are crorepatis. Even government. biting contest that went on until the wee united fight. Had BSP joined hands with
Assembly and got a Congress ticket for ity Bru voters expecting resettlement in the average of assets per MLA there is Yogi’s campaign was most effective hours of Wednesday, BJP remained only Congress in these elections the results
the polls. northern Mizoram. According to the State estimated to be rupees 4.84 crores. in Madhya Pradesh where BJP won five seats behind Congress while record- could wiped out BJP in these states. Op-
Mizoram has mostly been ruled by chief electoral officer Ashish Kundra, over 15 out of the 17 seats where he had ing a higher vote per centage. Congress position unity could reverse the future
the Congress since the peace accord was 6,280 Bru refugees (out of 11,987 registered (The author is a northeast India based campaigned. Madhya Pradesh, led emerged victorious winning 114 seats with prospects of BJP in 2019 general elections.
signed in 1986 with the Mizo uprising voters) participated in the polls arriving political analyst) by three-time Chief Minister Shivraj just 40.9 per cent vote share in the state
leader Pu Laldenga. Soon his armed outfit from six relief camps in bordering Tripura. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM Singh Chauhan, also turned out to be whereas BJP stood defeated despite win- LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 18 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 31 DECEMBER 2018 19 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

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