Aizawl, Oct 31: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay a day visit to Mizoram and campaign for BJP candidate for the upcoming assembly polls on Wednesday, a senior BJP leader said on Tuesday.
Mizoram BJP said that Singh will visit Mamit town in the western part of Mizoram bordering Bangladesh and Tripura and also Siaha in the southern part of the state.
They said that Singh will address public meetings and campaign for party candidates.
The BJP, which has a single MLA in the present assembly, has fielded 23 seats mostly in minority areas.
The party has fielded Lalrinliana Sailo, who recently resigned as assembly speaker and quit Mizo National Front (MNF) and former excise minister Dr K. Beichhua, who recently joined the Saffron, among 23 candidates.
The Saffron party is eyeing votes from linguistic minorities, especially among the Bru, Chakma, Lai and Mara people.
Also Read: 2022 Sees 1.68 Lakh Fatalities in 4.61 Lakh Road Accidents, Reports Road Ministry
The party had contested 39 seats in the last assembly polls in November 2018 and won one seat from Chakma’s dominant Tuichawng seat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who planned to campaign in Mamit on Monday has cancelled his trip.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was supposed to fill in for the Prime Minister, has also cancelled his visit possibly due to security reasons, sources in the BJP said.
BJP chief JP Nadda released the party manifesto on October 27, promising 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and probing into irregularities in the implementation of the Mizo National Front (MNF) flagship programme Socio-Economic Development Policy (SEDP), among others.
Nadda also led a grand rally at Chawngte in Mizoram’s southernmost Lawngtlai district and announced that the BJP would set up a special investigation team to probe irregularities in SEDP.
Earlier on Monday, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari addressed a public meeting at West Phaileng within Dampa constituency in Mamit district.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who was appointed as election in-charge for Mizoram, and other BJP leaders from outside Mizoram are currently camping in the state.
State BJP president Vanlalhmuaka, who expected a hung assembly this time, said that the party will win 6 to 7 seats and will be part of the next government.
Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly will be held on November 7 and the counting of votes will take place December on December 3.
