The 40-seat Mizoram assembly will go to polls on November 7. The election will be conducted in a single phase. The term of the current Mizoram assembly led by CM Zoramthanga will end on December 17. The counting will be done on December 3 and the result will be announced the same day. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced.
The gazette notification will be issued on October 13 and candidates will be able to file their nominations till October 20. The date for scrutiny of nominations has been set for October 21 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be October 23.
Polls in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, MP, Telangana will have 8.2 crore male, 7.8 crore female voters, 60.2 lakh first-time voters, the Election Commission said.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, "Around 60 lakh first-time voters(18-19 Yrs) will participate in elections of 5 states. 15.39 lakh young voters are eligible to participate in elections due to amendments on qualifying dates. To inspire young voters, over 2900 polling stations will be managed by youth."
The major parties/alliances contesting the polls this year are MNF, ZPM, Congress, and BJP.
The Mizo National Front (MNF), led by CM Zoramthanga. It won 18 seats in 2018. Two-time CM Zoramthanga will hope to extend his tenure in office this year as he faces stiff competition amid the Kuki-Meitei ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur, the effect of which was felt in his state too.
Another major party in the state is the Congress. However, its grip on the state has loosened over the past few years. In 2018, it managed to bag just 5 of the 40 seats.
The Zoram People's Movement or ZPM is the third major political player in Mizoram that emerged as an alliance of regional parties in 2018 to provide an "alternative political platform". ZPM aimed to provide a fresh approach to politics in Mizoram, without the Congress or the MNF, focussing purely on governance and transparency. ZPM's debut in 2018 was phenomenal as it managed to win 8 out of 40 seats, surpassing even the Congress.
The BJP leads the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), of which the MNF is a part. But the saffron party is yet to make a significant mark in the state on its own.
Mizoram is the only state in the country which doesn't have a single woman MP or MLA at present. To top it, Mizoram has had only four women MLAs till date.
The Mizoram election 2023 comes at time when four other states — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan are also going to polls.
(With PTI inputs.)