Mizoram will be 1st state to bring Congress back to power in NE India: Shashi Tharoor

Aizawl, Nov 4 (IANS) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Saturday that his party once governed most of the northeastern states and Mizoram would be the first state to bring the party back to power in the northeast.

Tharoor, the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said that in the November 7 elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, the Congress would comfortably secure more than majority number of seats.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was a message of unifying India and a challenge to the BJP, which he said is pushing for the idea of 'One nation, One culture' in India has always celebrated differences while Congress has always believed in the diversity of India, he told the media at the Aijal (Repeat Aijal) club.

"The BJP pushes an illusory idea of unity based on the notion of one religion and culture. We need to remember that uniformity is not unity."

Criticising the Mizo National Front (MNF) government, the Congress leader said that "Mizoram has suffered a lot under an inefficient government for the last five years".

"It is time for change and it is important that people with experience govern the state. The Congress has experienced people who are qualified and would ensure the overall well-being of the state," he added.

Noting that Congress is focused on creating employment opportunities in the state, Tharoor said that youth unemployment rate in Mizoram is very high which is unacceptable.

“When we would come to power, we would of course fill the current government job vacancies and would also work towards strengthening the economy which encourages entrepreneurs. The proposed young entrepreneurs elevate programme aims to provide them a boost to start an enterprise. These would in turn create more employment for the state.”

Announcing that if the Congress comes to power, a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000 would be provided to widows and people with disabilities to ensure their basic dignity of life, the Congress leader added that the Congress government would provide health coverage of Rs 15 lakh cashless insurance per family.

As Mizoram has one of the highest per capita rates of cancer in the country, an additional five crore rupees would be given for cancer and other serious ailments.

Referring to another opposition party Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), the Congress MP said: "There is a new party on the horizon, but no one really knows who these people are and how they will govern. Who is behind them? Who is financing them?"

“A vote for ZPM would be a vote for BJP through the backdoor. In these times it is better to vote for a tested party which knows you and understands your needs. A party which has unknown shadows is lurking in the back."

"Corruption under BJP has risen which is easily visible in the transparency index which is based on interviews with businessmen and taxpayers. The BJP has been using investigative agencies to their benefit," Tharoor added.

He said: "We also need to remember that in a few months, we would face general elections. This election is about saving India's soul. The very idea of India is under threat. The time to end the politics of hatred is here."

Criticising the BJP for trying to introduce the Uniform Civil Code, the Congress leader added that the BJP government has not shared any draft of the code with anyone.  

"No one has seen a draft. We cannot support any law which threatens the culture and practices of the many minorities and tribes of the country. Unity does not mean uniformity,” Tharoor said.