Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 Live Updates: Over 77% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

The Mizoram assembly elections passed off peacefully on Tuesday with over 77 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors exercising their franchise, officials said. The voting percentage is likely to touch 80 as final reports are yet to come from far-flung districts, additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela said. Lianzela said voting was underway in certain polling stations even at 5pm, an hour after the 4pm deadline, as people waited in queues to exercise their franchise.

Mizoram recorded 77.04 per cent polling in the assembly elections held on Tuesday. Mizoram went to polls for all the 40 assembly seats in the state. Several constituencies in Mizoram recorded high polling percentages. According to poll data till 5 pm, Serchhip seat reported a voter turnout of 83.96 per cent, Mamit 83.42 per cent, Hnahthial 82.62 per cent, Khawazawl 82.39 per cent and Kolasib 80.13 per cent.

The powerful church-sponsored election watchdog, Mizoram People's Forum (MPF), stole the limelight as it ensured adherence to all election-related activities of both the voters and political parties during the state polls which ended peacefully on Tuesday. Although the assembly polls were officially conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the MPF was the real force on the ground that ensured the implementation of all poll norms.

Voting ended in Mizoram on Tuesday with people casting their ballot to elect their representatives for 40 seats in the state assembly. According to Election Commission data, 69.87 per cent voters had exercised their franchise by 3 pm in the northeastern state. The polling to elect a new assembly started at 7 am and concluded at 4 pm, officials said.

Nearly 69 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors cast their votes till 3 pm on Tuesday in the Mizoram assembly elections, officials said. Polling, which began at 7 am, will continue till 4 pm. The voting percentage has been recorded at 68.96 in the first eight hours of polling, officials said. Of the 11 districts, Serchhip recorded the highest polling percentage of 77.78, followed by Khawzawl at 77.12 and Hnahthial at 74.96 till 3 pm, it added.

A 65-year-old social activist of Mizoram on Tuesday staged a hunger strike against the Election Commission's "silence" over the demand for rescheduling the day of the counting of votes, as polling for the 40-member assembly continued across the state. The EC has fixed December 3, which is a Sunday, as the day of counting. All major political parties of the Christian-majority state have urged the poll panel to change the day as it will clash with church programmes.

On polling day, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) candidate Lalnghinglova Hmar said that the biggest promise his party has made before the Mizoram electorate is a corruption-free government.

"If the biggest of all the promises is fulfilled then the rest will fall in line. The biggest promise from our side is that of a corruption-free government," Hmar said speaking to on voting day.

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.

Mizoram recorded 32.68 pc voter turnout at 11 am after voting kicked off in the Northeastern state from 7 am, the Election Commission of India stated.

The voter turnout in Mizoram was recorded at 12.80 pc voter turnout until 9 am this morning.

Voting for the 40-member state assembly is slated to go on till 3 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for December 3.

Mizoram being a literate state usually witnesses high voter turnouts. In 2018, the total voter turnout was 84.9 per cent with a total of 6,28,608 votes polled.

Mizoram is the only poll-bound state where the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not the primary contenders.

Mizoram currently shelters 32,492 refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and 11,991 internally displaced people from Manipur, according to the state home department. The Myanmar nationals took shelter in the northeastern state after the military junta seized power in the neighbouring country in February 2021.

Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) working president K Sapdanga cast his vote at Aizawl North-III constituency as voting got underway in Mizoram.

After casting his vote, the ZPM candidate from Aizawl North-III said his party would form the next government in Mizoram.

"We expect to get a single-party majority...We are very much confident that ZPM will get the absolute majority seats and form the government," K Sapdanga said speaking to on Tuesday.

The ZPM working president said that though Chief Minister Zoramthanga dreams of coming back to power, he is of the view that he will not be voted back.

Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati cast his vote at a polling booth in Aizawl South-II as voting got underway in the state. After casting his vote, the Governor said that Mizoram is a literate state and people are aware of their rights.

"Mizoram is a literate state, literacy rate is very high. People are also aware of their rights," he said speaking to ANI. Appealing to the people of Mizoram to vote, the Governor said, "The fundamental responsibility of every citizen is to vote. I appeal to every citizen to vote."

As polling began for the Mizoram assembly polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday urged the people of the state to vote in large numbers and "usher in change". Kharge said the people of Mizoram are looking towards protecting their culture, customs, land, forest and the Mizo way of life. Voting for elections to the 40-member assembly in Mizoram began at 7 am on Tuesday, amid tight security arrangements, officials said. In a post on X, the Congress president said the people of the state want a peaceful, stable, development-oriented government. "Today is the time to choose it," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged people in Mizoram, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers, as every vote will lay the foundation of a developed and prosperous Mizoram.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga casts his vote in the Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 at the 19-Aizawl Venglai-I YMA Hall polling station, located within the Aizawl North-II assembly constituency.

Mizoram's 40 Legislative Assembly seats will be contested in a single-phase election, and the results will be disclosed on December 3rd. Over 800,000 eligible voters can exercise their franchise at 1,276 polling stations within the northeastern state.

Voting for Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 is to begin at 7 am today.

The Meitei community residing and employed in Mizoram left the region due to ethnic strife in Manipur, with many seeking sanctuary in Assam from May to July amid concerns of potential local hostilities. Although many of them are registered voters in Mizoram, they will be unable to participate in the upcoming elections in their adopted state on Tuesday.

Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) relied on its platform for change and a new governance system.

During campaigning, MNF tried to capitalise on the issue of refugees and internally displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Manipur and Mizo sub-nationalism. The opposition highlighted the failure of the MNF government in fulfilling its promises, including implementation of the flagship programme, Socio Economic Development (SEDP), construction of flyovers, good roads, among others.

Interestingly, Mizoram is the only northeastern state where BJP is not part of the ruling alliance. The saffron party is fighting 23 seats in 2023.

In 2018, the Mizo National Front (MNF) led by chief minister Zoramthanga won 28 out of the state's 40 seats.

More than 8.57 lakh electorates, including 4,39,026 women, will decide the fate of 174 candidates.

Voting for all 40 constituencies in Mizoram will be held in the single phase elections today