Rahul Gandhi arrives in Aizawl for two-day visit to poll-bound Mizoram

Congress’s Mizoram chief Lalsawta said Rahul Gandhi would start his campaign with around 1.5 km march from Chanmari in Aizawl to the governor’s residence

Updated on: Oct 16, 2023, 14:04:46 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Mizoram’s Aizawl on Monday for a two-day visit to the election-bound state, where he will participate in a march, address rallies, and hold interactions and meetings. Gandhi flew from Delhi to the Tripura capital Agartala on a special flight and took a helicopter to Aizawl.

Congress’s Mizoram chief Lalsawta said Gandhi would start his campaign with around 1.5 km march from Chanmari in Aizawl to the governor’s residence and later address a public gathering and hold an hour-long interaction with students on Monday evening.

On Tuesday morning, Gandhi will meet Congress leaders and address a press conference. He will then travel to Lunglei and address a public meeting before flying back to Delhi via Agartala.

Gandhi’s visit is the first by a top Congress leader following last week’s announcement of assembly polls on November 7. Congress, which is expected to announce the list of its candidates on Monday, lost power to Mizo National Front (MNF) in 2018. It managed to get just five of the 40 assembly seats and finished third after MNF and Zoram Peoples’ Movement, a newly formed party which bagged eight seats.

Gandhi’s visit comes after the Mizoram Peoples Forum (MPF), an independent body of church elders and members of three prominent organisations, signed an agreement with political parties that they would not hold public processions after the announcement of the poll schedule. “We will keep a check on Gandhi’s schedule to ensure that it is not violated,” said MPF general secretary Lalramliana Pachuau.

Mizoram Congress president Lalsawta Gandhi’s programmes will not violate the agreement. “Gandhi will undertake the march with a few people and our party cadres would not participate.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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