A street in Aizawl

Imphal, April 16: Throwing the poll panel’s warning to the winds, parties in Mizoram are campaigning for the state’s lone Lok Sabha seat on religious lines. Polling in the state will be held on April 20.

The Opposition Mizoram Secular Force (MSF) — comprising the Congress, the Mizoram People’s Conference and the Zoram Nationalist Party — and the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) are engaged in a Christianity versus Hindutva battle, taking no notice of the Election Commission’s caution not to mix religion and politics in the campaign.

The MSF has labelled the MNF, which recently joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, as a communal party which is siding with Hindutva forces. Pushed on to the back foot, the MNF is trying to sell the “NDA-is-not-Hindutva” line.

Playing on Christian sentiments, the MSF has nominated Laltuangliana Khiangte, an academician and a well-known writer, as its candidate. Khiangte’s antecedents could play a vital role in whether he becomes part of the 14th Lok Sabha or not. The MSF is playing up the fact that Khiangte is the grandson of Rev. Liangkhaia, one of the most famous pastors of the Mizo community.

The MNF, though, is not sitting back and taking the flak quietly. Chief minister Zoramthanga has stressed time and again that his main objective is to produce one lakh missionaries. In effect, he has been saying that the MNF has God on its side and the people would do well to side with it.

Engaged in an “I’m-a-better-Christian-than-you” game, the MSF is playing heavily upon the persecution of Christians in different parts of the country during the last five years and the MNF, having joined the NDA, is trying to prove itself the better Christian so as to attract the nearly cent per cent Christian population’s vote.

Another angle the MNF is pursuing is that the state needs experienced parliamentarians to represent it. Underscoring heavily the pro-NDA opinion polls, it is hammering in the point that the state does not need an MP in the Opposition. The MNF candidate, Vanlalzawma, is the sitting Lok Sabha MP from Mizoram.

A small thorn on the sides of both the MNF and the MSF is the candidate from a little known party, Ephraim Union. They have decided to rake up the old issue of becoming an Independent entity as Mizoram had been forced to become a part of India when the country gained Independence in 1947.

The fight for this seat, however, is likely to be contained between the MNF and the MSF.