80% turnout in Mizoram, slight dip compared to 83.41% in 2013
Serchhip with 81% recorded the highest turnout, while Aizawl with 65% was the lowest.
In a peaceful poll, Mizoram recorded 80% voter turnout Wednesday, a few percentage points lower than the last assembly elections in which 83.41% voted. The final turnout is likely to be higher. A total of 209 candidates, including 18 women, contested from 40 assembly seats on November 28.
“Serchhip with 81% recorded the highest turnout, while Aizawl with 65% was the lowest,” said chief electoral officer Ashish Kundra.
Bru refugees voted at 15 polling booths at Kahnmun in Mamit district of Mizoram, close to the border. Of the 11,987 registered Bru voters, 56.46% voted.
Read| Madhya Pradesh sees higher voter turnout than in 2013, Mizoram a decrease
In Mizoram, the average number of voters per seat is around 19,000, so votes by Brus, who fled the state in 1997 following ethnic clashes, could be crucial in Hachhek, Dampa and Mamit seats .
There was a slight delay in some of the 1,164 polling stations, due to technical faults in a few Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail and EVM units. The Congress and the Mizo National Front contested from all 40 seats, while the BJP put up candidates in 39 and the Zoram People’s Movement in 35 seats. The National People’s Party, which is in power in Meghalaya and is part of the ruling coalition in Nagaland and Manipur, is contesting 9 seats.
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