BJP Makes Entry Into Mizoram State Assembly, Sees Vote Share Rise Drastically From 0.37 Per Cent To 8 Per Cent

The BJP has made its first real headway in Mizoram, winning one seat in the 40 strong state assembly, and exponentially increasing its vote share to eight per cent from a nearly non-existent vote share of 0.37 per cent in the 2013 assembly polls, reports Livemint.

The Mizo National Front (MNF) emerged with a clear-cut majority in the state, winning 26 out of 40 seats. The MNF used to be part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when it was led by late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998.

The electoral trend in Mizoram marks a fundamental change for both the BJP and the Congress, as the former has finally made its presence felt as a political force in the state while the latter has seen its performance continuously falter. MNF leader Zoramthanga had earlier predicted that the BJP would not even manage to win ‘one or two’ seats in the North-Eastern state.

Head of the BJP in Mizoram John Hluna had earlier stated, “In states that are under BJP, there is a lot of development and the Mizo people are seeing that and are aware of that. They want development. That is why the Congress attacks us as being anti-Christian.”

The BJP’s first electoral success in Mizoram can be credited to the party’s ‘Act East’ policy whereby it has formed governments in six of the eight North-East states.