With less than a week left for the Mizoram Assembly election, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday cautioned voters of the northeastern state against the Mizo National Front and Zoram People’s Movement, accusing them of being “unofficial agents” of the BJP.

The remarks come a day after Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi said that both the parties are “gateways” for the saffron party in Mizoram.

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Making an appeal to the people of Mizoram to vote for the Congress, Kharge said the grand old party has always been committed for the development of the state.

“The MNF and ZPM are acting as unofficial agents of BJP. The people of Mizoram deserve peace, prosperity and progress,” he wrote in a social media post.

Attacking the BJP and RSS, the Congress president said, “BJP-RSS are against diversity, and they want to take away the precious land and forest that are the property of the tribals, for the welfare of their cronies.”

“(Former Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi brought peace to Mizoram through the Peace Accord in 1986 and secured the statehood in 1987. Congress party has always been committed to its progress,” he said as he appealed to people to vote for the Congress.

Noting that the Congress always delivers what it promises, Kharge said, “Our guarantees for the state of Mizoram shall usher welfare, inclusiveness and economic security.”

In a video message ahead of the polls, Sonia said, “In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Zoram People’s Movement (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 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.