It’s only one seat, but the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mizoram’s political scene will help the political juggernaut further cement its position as the North-East’s political tour de force.
This token debut with one Assembly seat in the state—nestled between Bangladesh and Myanmar—comes despite outgoing Congress chief minister Lal Thanhawla’s focused efforts to keep the BJP out.
An innings in Mizoram, that was the Congress’ last bastion in the region, also bears the leitmotif of a party that has the ability to go beyond its traditional voter base of upper caste and traders despite its so-called “religious agenda”.
 
This comes in the backdrop of Mizoram being 90% Christian. The Church, especially the Presbyterian Church, is seen as a strong influence in daily life, as is the Mizo People’s Forum, a non- governmental civil society forum.
The BJP’s voteshare was 8%, a huge jump over the 0.37% it had in 2013, according to figures put out by the Election Commission (EC). The BJP won one seat, and the Mizo National Front (MNF) cornered 26 in the 40-member Assembly. Ranged against the BJP were the Congress, MNF, and the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM).