NEW DELHI, June 4 ? After its maiden foray into the Nagaland Assembly in the last elections, BJP is now planning to make a breakthrough in the pre-dominantly Christian north-eastern State of Mizoram, which goes to poll later this year, reports PTI. Party vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal, who visited the State recently, Tuesday briefed BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu about this talks with several State leaders on the possibility of a pre-poll alliance.
While the party does not have a foothold in Mizoram, it is keen to ?open account? in the sensitive border State as part of its social and political expansion plans, party sources said. They also claimed that the party has made some inroads among some tribes, particularly the Buddhist Chakmas and Hmars many of whom happen to be animists. Several Sangh Parivar origanisation including VHP and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram are also active in the region.
However, the party is also in a dilemma as the ruling Mizo National Front is an ally of the NDA Government at the Centre while in the State, some Opposition parties have showed interest in aligning with the BJP, the sources said. BJP is also holding a conclave of its State unit presidents and general secretaries of north-eastern States at Guwahati on June 6, which would be attended by party MPs and MLAs from the region besides Naidu, Khandelwal, party general secretary Sanjay Joshi, ?Guardian? ministers of all States, Minister for North-East Region CP Thakur and Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda, who looks after the region.