AIZAWL, April 10 - The Election Commission of India (ECI) today despatched polling parties to their respective stations and beefed up security across the State which will go to polls tomorrow.
On Tuesday, 141 polling parties had left for far-flung polling stations from their respective district headquarters.
Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra said 4,812 polling personnel, including 1,190 presiding officers, would conduct the polling to the Lok Sabha seat and the by-poll to the Aizawl West-I Assembly seat.
The CEO said 4,409 security personnel, including 12 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), would be deployed for the election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in the State. Twenty companies of State armed police personnel and 22 companies of unarmed State police personnel would be deployed for the polls.
There are six candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha seat. The Mizo National Front (MNF) has fielded C Lalrosanga, former Indian Broadcasting Programme Service (IBPS) officer and retired Director General of Doordarshan. Sports journalist Lalnghinglova Hmar, also known as Tetea Hmar, is contesting as an Independent candidate with the backing of key Opposition parties including the Zoram People�s Movement (ZPM) and the Congress.
The BJP has fielded Nirupam Chakma, a veteran Chakma leader as well as the State vice president of the party. TBC Lalvenchhunga of the newly-floated People�s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) is also in the contest. The Independent candidates include Lalhriatrenga Chhangte and Lalthlamuani.
Lalthlamuani, who runs an NGO for the Jewish community, is the only woman candidate contesting from the Mizoram seat. Women voters again outnumber men in Mizoram. Of the total 7.84 lakh voters, 4.02 lakh are women and 3.81 lakh men. There are 52,556 first-time voters, and a total of six third-gender voters in the State.
Among the 1,175 polling stations, 117 will be women-only booths, officiated by female security personnel and officials.
Bru voters lodged in relief camps in Tripura will also exercise their franchise for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram on April 11. There will be 15 special polling stations at the Mizoram-Tripura border village of Kanhmun, where 12,081 Bru electors will cast their votes. The Election Commission has instructed the State to make special arrangements for the Bru community sheltered in six relief camps in the neighbouring North Tripura district.
The ECI has also instructed the Tripura Government to arrange transportation of the Bru voters from their camps on the voting day.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Mizoram had a voter turnout of 61.95 per cent out of 7.02 lakh registered electors. CL Ruala of the Indian National Congress won the seat with a vote share of 49.3 per cent.
However, the Congress faced a crushing defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections with Zoramthanga of the Mizo National Front replacing Lal Thanhawla of the INC as the Chief Minister of Mizoram.
