Mizoram Election 2018: Voting starts in all 40 constituencies; 209 candidates in fray

Mizoram Assembly Election 2018: Assembly polls in Mizoram started at 7 am amid heavy security for over 7 lakh voters who are expected to exercise their franchise here.

Voting underway in Mizoram, visuals of people queuing up to vote at a polling station in Kanhmun. (Image: ANI)

Mizoram Assembly Election 2018: Assembly polls in Mizoram started at 7 am amid heavy security for over 7 lakh voters who are expected to exercise their franchise here. The polling will end at 4 pm here. In the Northeast state Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla led Congress government is seeking a third consecutive term whereas Bharatiya Janata Party aims at defeating the government in its last bastion. However, both Congress and the BJP have stiff challenge from the Mizo National Front (MNF) headed by former Chief Minister Zoramthanga. The Congress has fielded 40 candidates while the BJP and MNF are contesting in 39 and 40 constituencies, respectively. It is to be noted that only 15 out of the 209 candidates in fray for the assembly elections are women and interestingly the state has more female voters than male. As soon as the elections kicked off in the state, BJP President Amit Shah took to Twitter and requested people to turnout in record numbers to vote during the polls. "As voting in Mizoram begins, I appeal all my sisters and brothers of state to turnout in record numbers and vote. Your one vote will lay the foundation of a prosperous and corruption free Mizoram," BJP president Amit Shah has tweeted.

Mizoram: Visuals from a polling station in Zarkawt, Aizawl. Polling for the 40 constituencies in the state will begin at 7 am. #MizoramElections pic.twitter.com/BnKJsWf36E

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018

According to the Election Commission (EC), around 40 all-women managed polling stations have been set up in the state. At these polling booths entire polling staff, including the police and security personnel, are women. Even the Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), an alliance formed by two political parties and four groups, is contesting from 35 seats. Rajya Sabha MP and former president of Delhi BJP Vijay Goel took to Twitter to appeal to young voters, asking them to "turnout in record numbers and cast their vote" for the Mizoram Assembly elections.

I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Mizoram, particularly young voters, to turnout in record numbers and cast their vote in the Assembly Elections.#MizoramElections

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) November 28, 2018

As per EC, around 1,164 polling stations have been set up across the state out of which 15 are special polling stations at Kanhmun to arrange voting facility for the Reang tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura for the past 21 years. Of the over 35,000 tribal immigrants, 11,232 are eligible to cast their votes in the elections.