Aizwal: More than 8.5 lakh voters will decide the fates of 174 candidates, who are in the fray for Mizoram Polls which begin on Tuesday(November 7). The election will be conducted across all the 40 assembly seats of the northeastern state where Chief Minister Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front is looking to return for the second term amid ZPM's increasing influence.
Also read: Manipur crisis & 'Zalingam' demand: Is Mizoram CM Zoramthanga trying to draw political mileage over Mizo sub-nationalism?
The ruling MNF is set for a two-pronged challenge from the Congress party and the Zoram People's Movement. One hundred and forty-nine out of the total 1,276 voting centers in the state are designated as remote polling stations.
As many as 30 polling stations situated along the inter-state and international borders have been identified as critical and vulnerable. Security measures have been beefed up across the state and along the international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mizoram shares 510km porous border with Myanmar and a 318km border with Bangladesh.
Soon after the campaigning ended on Sunday, additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela stressed the need for strict enforcement of any election-related activities, including public meetings, press conferences, interviews, and panel discussions by political parties in the media, until the completion of the voting process.
At least 3,000 policemen and 5,400 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed fo smooth conduct of polls, a police official said.
The BJP has flown a host of Several prominent political figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, and Kiren Rijiju, actively campaigned for BJP candidates. BJP state president Vanlalhmuaka expressed confidence in winning 6-8 seats.
On the other side, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Shashi Tharoor campaigned for party candidates, highlighting their party's vision and agenda. During the campaign, the ruling party MNF sought to leverage issues such as refugees and internally displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur, along with promoting Mizo sub-nationalism. They also underscored the developmental achievements in the state over the last five years, despite financial constraints triggered by the pandemic.
In contrast, the opposition emphasized the alleged failures of the MNF government in fulfilling promises, including the implementation of flagship programs like Socio-Economic Development (SEDP), the construction of flyovers, and the development of good roads, among other issues.
The ZPM, positioning itself as a party of change, focused on introducing a new system of governance. The results are scheduled to be announced on December 3.
