Assembly elections 2018: Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram record 75% voter turnout
BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Congress-ruled Mizoram vote to decide on new state government. Track Assembly elections 2018 LIVE updates here
 "Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram Assembly Elections 2018")
Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram Assembly Elections 2018
The voting for Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram Assembly elections has concluded. Both the States recorded around 75 per cent voting. BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia were among early voters. Around 1,145 EVMs and 1,545 VVPATs were found to be faulty in Madhya Pradesh and had to be replaced, while three Election Commission's polling officials died from cardiac arrest. The Congress is trying to wrest Madhya Pradesh from the three-term holder Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while in Mizoram, the BJP is hoping to break the ground and play the kingmaker, if not the king, by supporting regional parties in today's election. The battle of ballots in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram is just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls slated in the first half of 2019. Results of the Assembly polls 2018 will be declared on December 11.
MP is voting to elect a 230-member Assembly, for which as many as 2,899 candidates, including 1,094 independents, are in the fray. BJP is contesting all the 230 seats, while the Congress has fielded 229 candidates, leaving one seat, Jatara in Tikamgarh district, for its ally -- Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in office since 2005, is seeking re-election from Budhni in Sehore district. The BSP has fielded 227 candidates, while the SP is contesting on 52 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), contesting the Madhya Pradesh elections for the first time, has fielded 208 candidates.
Elections to the 40-member Assembly in Mizoram, which has a population of about 1 million, is significant for the BJP, which considers it to be the 'final frontier' in the region. The Congress and the MNF have fielded 40 candidates each, while the BJP is contesting in 39 seats. The Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), an alliance formed by two political parties and four groups, is contesting in 35 seats.
Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram elections highlights 2018:
EVMs, VVPATs glitches
Today's pollings were marred by complaints of faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVVPAT) machines. Poll officials said 1,145 EVMs and 1,545 VVPATs were replaced after complaints of technical snags. Congress leaders claimed that EVMs at many places had malfunctioned.
Kamal Nath violates code of conduct during MP elections 2018
BJP has moved the Election Commission against Congress leader Kamal Nath for an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by showing his hand- a symbol of the Congress party- after casting his vote in Chhindwara today.
However, Nath, while speaking to ANI, said: "I had already cast my vote. When people asked me when those from media asked me whom I have voted for I showed this (palm). What else could have I done? Show a lotus?"
Three arrested for firing incidents at Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh
Back-to-back firing incidents took place in Bhind city of Madhya Pradesh. Sources said the incident took place in the Raipura area of Lahar state asembly seat. Police managed to arrest three suspects.Few tried to destroy EVMs in lahar constituency of Bhind district. Despite tall claims of security measures, many attempted to destroy EVMs and VVPATs during the polling at booths.
Three EC officials die during MP polls voting process
Three EC officials die due to cardiac arrest during Madhya Pradesh assembly voting process. One death was reported from Guna and two from Indore.
Polling officials being caught inebriated in Mizoram
Three polling officials, including two presiding officers, in Mizoram's Lunglei district were removed from their duties after they were allegedly found in an inebriated state. The three officlas, who were found drunk, were removed from the election duties with immediate effect and authorities concerned were asked to initiate departmental enquiries against them.
Congress demanded time extension for polling in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram
Congress leaders had earlier in the day, demanded that the Election Commission should have had compensated for the time wasted in replacing faulty EVMs and VVPATs by extending the polling time in concerned booths in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram.
7:53 PM
Amid prolonged uncertainty over return to their homes, Reang tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura for 21 years, voted in large numbers in the Mizoram Assembly polls today.
North Tripura district officials said around 60% of the 12,018 voters among over 35,000 tribal immigrants after travelling around 50-60 km had cast their ballots at Kanhmun, a village along the Mizoram-Tripura border.
7:34 PM
Around 75% voter turnout was recorded in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, according to Deputy Election Commissioner C B Kumar
7:34 PM
A voter turnout of about 75% was recorded in the Mizoram Assembly polls, said Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain
7:28 PM
7:00 PM
6:56 PM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his wife Sadhna Singh and two sons Kartikeya and Kunal show their marked fingers after casting their votes for Assembly elections, at Jait village in Bhopal today (PTI Photo)
6:25 PM
Around 73 per cent votes were cast in the Mizoram assembly polls today but the figure is expected to rise as there were long queues of voters outside polling booths to exercise their franchise, Chief Electoral Officer said.
6:15 PM
Altogether 65.5 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections today
6:01 PM
Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and his wife Lal Riliani show their ink-marked fingers after casting their vote for the Mizoram Assembly elections at Zarkawt-II polling station in Aizawl (Mizoram) (PTI Photo)
5:50 PM
Around 60% voter turnout recorded in Madhya Pradesh's naxal hit areas
According to reports, voting has concluded in Naxal-hit areas of Madhya Pradesh. Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded. 66 per cent, 64 per cent and 68 per cent polling was reported from the Maoist-affected Baihar, Lanjhi and Paraswada constituencies respectively. Voting for these seats closed at 3 pm.
5:44 PM
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan along with her grand-daughter shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting her vote for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, outside a polling station in Indore, Madhya Pradesh (PTI Photo)
5:42 PM
Union minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Singh Tomar shows his ink-marked finger after casting vote for the Assembly elections, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh (Photo: PTI)
5:23 PM
Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said that he is going to "break the jinx" of no party winning the third consecutive term by forming the next Congress government with full majority.
"I am going to break the jinx because of our good work. I am coming with full majority," Thanhawla, who was with his wife Lal Riliani, told reporters after casting his vote at Zarkawt-II polling station in the state capital.
5:15 PM
According to media reports, voter turnout in the Mizoram Assembly elections has been 70 per cent till 4 pm. The elections in Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, registered a turnout of only 55.2 per cent.
5:03 PM
108-yr-old man turns up at booth as Mizoram's oldest voter
Rochhinga, aged 108, was considered to be the oldest voter in Mizoram as the election to the 40-member state Assembly ended peacefully on Wednesday.
Rochhinga, a Presbyterian Church elder and a resident of Zemabawk North in Aizawl East-I constituency, came holding a walking stick along with one of his neighbours.
Also among the voters were persons aged 106, 104 and 96.
"I never miss voting in elections. It is our duty. If we fail in our duty, then how can we question when the government will fail in its duty?" Rochhinga told PTI after casting vote.
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First Published: Nov 28 2018 | 7:03 AM IST
