Mizoram assembly polls: ZPM ahead of MNF in early trends

PTI, Dec 4, 2023, 9:03 AM IST

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Aizawl: The opposition ZPM was ahead of the ruling MNF as the initial trends poured in for the assembly elections in Mizoram on Monday morning.

The Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) was ahead in 11 seats, while the Mizo National Front (MNF) was leading in six seats, TV channels showed.

According to PTI correspondents at the counting centres, the ZPM was ahead in two seats and the MNF in one.

The Election Commission website showed that the ZPM was leading in one seat and the BJP was leading in one.

The counting of votes for the 40 assembly seats in the state began at 8 am. The counting was being held in 13 centres.

Postal ballots were counted first, and from 8.30 am, the counting for votes polled in the EVMs began.

Besides three counting centres in the Aizawl district, which has 12 assembly constituencies, one centre each has been set up in the 10 other districts, he said.

In some of the seats that have a lesser number of voters, only two rounds of counting will be held, but in most of the constituencies, five rounds will be counted, he added.

More than 4,000 personnel are involved in the counting process. In all, there are 399 tables for the EVMs and 56 for the counting of postal ballots, the official said.

Polling was held on November 7, and over 80 per cent of the state’s 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise. A total of 174 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray.

The MNF, ZPM and Congress contested 40 seats each, while the BJP fielded candidates in 23 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested the assembly polls here for the first time, fought in four seats. Also, there were 17 Independent candidates.

Some exit polls have predicted a clean sweep by the ZPM, but the majority indicated a hung House with no party getting a clear majority.

In the last assembly elections, held in 2018, the MNF had won 26 seats and the ZPM secured eight seats, relegating the Congress that bagged five seats to the third place. The BJP had won one seat.