The resurgent BJP is increasing its presence State after State not only in State Assembly elections and in Lok Sabha elections but also in local body polls. Local body polls are toughest among all the elections as it’s more person oriented rather than on party basis. The BJP won local body elections in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Haryana. In all these States the BJP decisively defeated its main opponent in these States the Congress party.
Northeastern States were once considered the weakest spot for the BJP along with some southern States. But the footprints of BJP are increasing day by day in the States of Northeast like in the entire country. Currently, the BJP has surprised one and all by registering a huge victory in the local elections of Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in Mizoram. By winning 64 out of 88 Gram Parishads, the BJP slapped all its critics either from journalistic fraternity due to its sich performance in Mizoram.
Northeastern States along with Mizoram are always an example for other States for higher voting percentages. In the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) elections 86.97 per cent voting was recorded.
Of the 64 Gram Parishads the BJP has won 9 Gram Parishads unopposed. Out of 88 Gram Parishads in 12 GPs the election was unopposed and the BJP won 9 while the ruling Zoram People’s Movement Party won 3 GPs unpooposed. The Mizo National Front was successful in registering victory in 46 Gram Parishads, whereas the Congress Party could not even open its account. In these elections in 2020, the BJP was able to win only 16 Gram Parishads, while the then ruling Mizo National Front won 64 Gram Parishads.
This is a sign of BJP’s growing footprint in Mizoram and the Northeast States. The BJP has massively improved its performance in Mizoram. The BJP has little presence in Mizoram. In the Assembly elections held in 2023 the BJP won only 2 seats in the 40-member Assembly. In the Lok Sabha elections on Mizoram seat the BJP got only 6.82 per cent votes and was successful in establishing a lead on only two Assembly seats. Due to its improved performance the BJP is all set to play a decisive role in the 2028 Mizoram Assembly elections.
The BJP is likely to repeat its Tripura chapter in Mizoram too. Till the 2013 Assembly elections in Tripura the BJP had a history of saving its deposit on just one Assembly seat of Kadamtala-kurti. Kadamtala-kurti is one of the Muslim dominated Assembly seats in Tripura. In 2013 Assembly elections in Tripura the BJP saved its deposit on just one Assembly seat by contesting on 50 ACs. While in 2018 Assembly elections again by contesting on 51 ACs the BJP won 44 seats and its ally the IPFT won 8 seats by contesting on 9 seats. Again in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections also, the BJP has succeeded in forming the government again with its strength.
Mizoram is very important in terms of the geopolitics of the country. It is a border state. There are a total of eight states in the northeast including Sikkim. The PM called this region the Asthlakshmi. Out of these eight States, before the imposition of the President’s rule in Manipur, the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance allies had a government in a total of seven States. Only Mizoram State did not have a BJP or its National Democratic Alliance government. This election verdict opened new possibilities for the BJP in the State.
Such a resounding victory of the BJP in Mizoram is a new beginning in many ways. The demography of Mizoram is quite different from the areas where BJP is a stronghold. This state has 87 per cent Christian, 2 per cent Hindu, 2 per cent Muslim, 8.5 per cent Buddhist population. The BJP’s such a massive victory in such a demographic belt shows that the BJP is now the party of all the religions and regions. The anti-BJP analysts and political opponents who used to associate the BJP with a particular religion and region will have to change their analysis or approach towards the BJP.
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