 "Mizoram Assembly elections: Polling on November 7, result on December 3")
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that Assembly polls in Mizoram are scheduled to take place on November 7. The date of counting is December 3, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said in a press conference.
"We met political parties and took their feedback during our visit to the five states. We have taken special measures to ensure that senior citizens and People with Disabilities (PWDs) are a part of the electoral process," Kumar said. Kumar added that a total of 851,895 registered voters were a part of the electoral rolls in Mizoram. There were a total of 3,243 registered PWD voters in the state with 8,490 voters aged 80 years or more and 578 centenarian voters. Out of the 851,895 registered voters in the state, 412,969 are male, while 438,925 are female.
CEC Kumar urged eligible voters to exercise their franchise. Kumar also said that the citizens can report any kind of electoral malpractice through cVigil App."For every complaint, there will be a response in 100 minutes," he stated.
Kumar also said that the ECI is introducing an Election Seizure Management System to enhance oversight for inducement-free elections. It will establish 940 checkposts in these five states to arrest the illicit flow of money, alcohol and drugs.
The terms of the legislative assemblies in Telangana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh are set to conclude on various dates in January of the coming year, while the term of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly will end on December 17 this year. In August, an EC team led by CEC Kumar visited Aizawl for three days to assess preparations for the upcoming Mizoram Assembly elections.
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On Wednesday, the Mizo National Front (MNF) announced its candidate list for the 40-member assembly. Chief Minister Zoramthanga is set to run from Aizawl East-I, a seat he secured in the 2018 assembly elections. The MNF will contest in all 40 assembly constituencies. The MNF's candidate list includes two women and 15 new faces.
The voter turnout in the 2018 assembly polls in Mizoram was 81.5 per cent.
The MNF governs Mizoram. Currently, the MNF has 28 members, while the main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) has six MLAs, the Congress has five, and the BJP has one.