No electoral understanding with BJP: Mizo National Front

The Mizo National Front (MNF), which has been under fire from other political parties for allegedly being close to the BJP, Tuesday said it did not have any electoral alliance with the saffron party and would never go for one as the ideologies of the two parties were "completely different".

There was also no chance of a post-poll alliance between the MNF and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or a coalition in the event of a hung Assembly, MNF senior vice-president Tawnluia said during a meeting in Khawzawl town on the Mizoram-Myanmar border.

"The MNF is for protecting Christianity, but will never condone Hindutva," he said.

Tawnluia added that the Congress had formed a coalition with the BJP to be in power in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) since May last and the Zoram

People's Movement's (ZPM) chief ministerial candidate, Lalduhoma, had formed an alliance with the saffron party earlier.

The Congress had to publicly announce that it was no longer an ally of the BJP in the autonomous council for the ethnic Chakma people that exercised legislative, executive and judicial powers over the allotted departments in its territory spread over 1,500 sq. Km.

The election to the 20-member CADC on April 20 had thrown up a fractured mandate with the MNF getting eight seats, the Congress six and the BJP five. The polling for one seat was stayed by the Gauhati High Court.

The traditional national rivals -- the BJP and the Congress -- later formed a coalition to stake claim to form the executive committee of the tribal council. The coalition, however, faced a setback after some Congress members withdrew support to the BJP-led CADC. 

The MNF has been accused of being close to the saffron party as it is a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). Other political parties, especially the ruling Congress, has alleged that the MNF has a covert understanding with the BJP.

Both the BJP and the MNF are contesting all the 40 seats in the November 28 Mizoram Assembly polls, the results of which will be announced on December 11.