On the last day of campaigning for the Mizoram Assembly polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday cautioned the voters against the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in the state and BJP at the Centre.

He accused the MNF of “corruption” and the BJP of “divisive” politics.

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Making an appeal to the people of the state to vote for the Congress, he said the grand old party’s commitment to the people of the northeastern state, which he said has been tried and tested over the years, is lasting.

In a video message, the Congress chief who has been accusing the

MNF and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) , acting as “unofficial agents” of BJP, said, “Mizoram is going to vote on 7 November. Today, under the MNF rule – the infrastructure of the state is in shambles. The youth want education and employment. Under MNF-BJP rule, corruption has become a way of life.”

Attacking the BJP and RSS, Kharge said, “RSS-BJP are hell-bent on destroying your culture, values, religion and the Mizo way of Narendra Modi government wants to take your land and forests and gift that to their crony friends.”

Referring to Manipur, he said, “BJP created division between people of Manipur and the state has been burning for 6 months. Thousands of tribal people from Manipur had to seek refuge in Mizoram. BJP wants to destroy the delicate social fabric of the northeast.”

Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he said, “Rajiv Gandhi signed the historic Mizo Accord in 1986, and secured statehood in 1987. Since then, Congress has had a very special relationship with the people of Mizoram.”

Kharge said successive Congress governments have ensured peace, stability, tribal culture, identity and secularism in Mizoram.

We brought the New Land Use Policy (NLUP) for agriculture, which has benefitted farmers and substantially increased rice production in the state, he said.

“Congress aspires for protection of Mizoram – its people, its land and its natural resources enshrined under Article 371-G of the Constitution of India. Our commitment to the people of Mizoram is long-lasting and also tried and tested.Don’t vote for those who will help BJP in the end. Vote carefully,” Kharge said as he appealed to the people to vote for Congress.

Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi had said, “In Mizoram, the MNF and the ZPM say they are independent. Are they really? No, I believe they are not. They are gateways for the BJP into Mizoram. The Congress party will never ‘compromise’ with the BJP.”

She said that only the Congress party can guarantee the development of Mizoram, empowerment of its people, and protection for the weak in society.

Elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly will be held on November 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.

The upcoming polls are likely to witness a four-cornered contest among the ruling MNF, ZPM, Congress, and the BJP. The MNF is a constituent of the BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

In the 2018 assembly election, the MNF had won 26 seats, the ZPM eight, Congress five and the BJP one seat.