On Tuesday, November 7, polling is set to take place in Mizoram’s assembly elections, with 40 seats up for grabs. Over 8.52 lakh voters will play a pivotal role in deciding the fate of 174 candidates. The Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Mizoram has reported that 8,52,088 voters, including 4,13,064 males and 4,39,028 females, will cast their votes across 1,276 polling stations.
Remarkably, Mizoram has 50,611 first-time voters in the 18-19 age group and 8,490 senior citizens aged above 80. To ensure fair and free elections, approximately 50 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in the state. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has designated 30 polling stations as critical.
The smallest polling station, Thelep, under Thorang (ST) assembly constituency, has just 26 voters, while the largest polling station, Zemabawk VIII, under Aizawl East I (Gen) assembly constituency, boasts 1,481 voters. Thorang assembly constituency has the fewest voters at 14,924, whereas Tuichawng is the most extensive assembly constituency with 36,041 voters.
The dispatching of polling personnel to their respective booths began on November 5. The Lawngtlai district alone has 181 polling stations, with 70 within 36-Tuichawng AC, 69 in 37-Lawngtlai West, and 42 in 38-Lawngtlai East AC. The polling officials for the remaining 95 stations are being dispatched today.
Out of the 1,276 polling stations in the state, 30 have been identified as critical. Approximately 5,000 polling personnel will be stationed at these locations to ensure a fair and free election. The third and final randomization of polling parties for the Legislative Assembly election took place on Sunday to promote transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is striving to maintain its hold on power, while the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), BJP, and Congress are vying to unseat the incumbent government. Mizoram is one of the five states conducting assembly elections, with vote counting scheduled for December 3.
In the 2018 polls, the Mizo National Front secured 26 out of 40 seats with a vote share of 37.8%, emerging as the victor. The Congress obtained five seats, and the BJP won one seat.
