The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) appears poised to claim its first-ever government in Mizoram, leading in 26 out of the 40 Assembly seats, a stark contrast to the ruling Mizo National Front's (MNF) position, lagging behind with only ten seats.
As the vote count progresses across 13 centers in Mizoram, initial trends exhibit the opposition Congress leading in merely one seat, while the BJP is ahead in three.
ZPM's President and Chief Ministerial candidate, Lalduhoma, is spearheading in the Serchhip seat, with several prominent party candidates also in the lead in their respective constituencies.
In an unexpected turn, MNF candidate and Chief Minister Zoramthanga trails behind in the Aizawl East-1 seat, where ZPM's nominee, Lalthansanga, leads the race. Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister Tawnluia, contesting on the MNF ticket, is trailing in the Tuichang seat against ZPM's W. Chhuanawma, along with various other MNF Ministers facing a similar setback in their electoral contests.
This election marks a significant shift from the 2018 results where MNF secured 26 out of 40 seats, while ZPM managed eight. Congress and BJP had secured five and one seat(s) respectively.
The counting process commenced at 8 a.m. under strict security measures across all 11 districts of the state, starting with the tallying of postal ballots followed by votes cast via Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Approximately 4,000 officials, including women, are engaged in the counting process across 40 counting halls in 13 centers.
Director General of Police Anil Shukla assured adequate security measures, deploying Central Armed Police Forces and Mizoram Armed Police across the state to maintain law and order during the counting.
With a significant voter turnout of over 80%, encompassing 8.57 lakh voters and 174 candidates, including 16 women, the elections witnessed active participation from the ruling MNF, the ZPM, and the Congress. Additionally, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested four seats, while the BJP focused on 23 seats, specifically targeting linguistic minority areas, particularly those inhabited by the Reang and Chakma tribal communities.
Apart from these parties, 27 independent candidates are also vying for positions in the Assembly.
(With Agency Inputs)
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