Aizawl, Oct 28 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cancelled his election campaign trip to poll-bound Mizoram scheduled on October 30, and Home Minister Amit Shah would instead lead the BJP’s campaign in the northeastern state, party sources said on Saturday.
Mizoram BJP President Vanlalhmuaka said that Shah is likely to address an election rally in Mamit district, where the Prime Minister was scheduled to address a gathering on October 30.
However, Shah’s campaign schedule is yet to be finalised, he said.
BJP sources did not cite any specific reason for the cancellation of Modi's visit to Mizoram.
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari is likely to campaign in the northeastern state on Monday.
Commenting on the cancellation of the Prime Minister’s visit, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that Modi cancelled his Mizoram election rally due to his silence over the Manipur crisis.
Ramesh said in a post on X: “The Prime Minister was to address an election rally in Mizoram on Oct 30. But now there are reports that he has cancelled his visit. Could it be because questions would be raised that he had not found time to visit the deeply troubled neighbouring state that has been on the deep edge for almost 180 days… with what face would he go to the rally in Mizoram?”
BJP President J.P. Nadda had on Friday released the party's manifesto, promising 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and solution to the long-standing border dispute with Assam, among others.
Nadda had said that the BJP would establish a special investigation team to probe the "irregularities and corruption" in the implementation of the Socio-Economic Development Programme, the flagship scheme of Chief Minister Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF) government.
MNF is an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BJP, which has now one MLA in the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, is eyeing the votes of tribal minorities, including Chakma, Reang, Mara and Lai community people living in the southern part of the state.
The BJP, which contested 39 seats in the 2018 Assembly polls, has fielded 23 nominees for the November 7 elections.