33% voter turnout till 11 am in Mizoram, Lawngtlai voter turnout highest

Around 33 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors cast their votes in the first four hours of polling on Tuesday in the Mizoram assembly elections, officials said.

Polling, which began at 7 am, will continue till 4 pm.

According to the polling trends, the voting percentage has been recorded at 32.68 per cent till 11 am, as per the Election Commission data.

Of the 11 districts, Lawngtlai recorded the highest polling percentage of 39.88 per cent, followed by Khawzawl at 36.98 per cent and Serchhip 36.86 per cent till 11 am, it added.

Saitual witnessed the lowest turnout of 26.15 per cent in the first four hours, followed by 29.62 per cent in Aizawl and 30.55 per cent in Lunglei district, according to the ECI data.

Over 8.57 lakh voters, including 4.39 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 174 candidates.

Mizoram Additional Chief Electoral Officer H Lianzela said polling has been "peaceful and there has been no law and order issue till now".

The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded candidates in all the 40 seats. The BJP is contesting 23 constituencies, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has nominated candidates in four assembly segments.

Besides, there are 27 independent candidates.

Technical glitches in EVM were reported from a polling station in Aizawl where Chief Minister Zoramthanga went to exercise his franchise, another official said.

"The CM had, in the morning, gone to Ramhlun Venglai Primary School polling station, but the EVM was not working at that time. So, he went back home and came again at 9.40 am to exercise his franchise," she said.

State Congress president Lalsawta also cast his vote at a polling station in his Aizawl West-III constituency at 7.40 am.

Of the 1,276 polling stations across Mizoram, 149 are remote voting centres, and 30 along the inter-state and international borders have been declared critical and vulnerable.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made with 7,200 personnel deployed across the state to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections, the officials said.

The 510-km-long international border with Myanmar and the 318-km boundary with Bangladesh have been sealed ahead of the polling of assembly constituencies.

The counting of votes will take place on December 3.

A total of 81.61 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the previous assembly elections in 2018.

The MNF had won 26 of the 40 seats, securing two more in subsequent bypolls, while the opposition ZPM had won eight seats, relegating Congress, which had bagged five constituencies, to third place. The BJP had opened its account in the Christian-majority state, winning one seat.