Aizawl, Nov 06: Electioneering for the coming election to the 40-member Mizoram state legislative assembly, to be held on Tuesday ended at 4 PM on Sunday marking the beginning of the ‘silent period’ which will continue till 4 pm on November 7.
Polling will be held on Tuesday from 7 AM to 4 PM in 1,276 polling stations.
State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas on Sunday said that 722-km-long international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh will remain sealed during the ‘silent period’. Vyas said that interstate boundaries of Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar districts in Assam, Kanchandpur district in Tripura and Churachandpur district in Manipur will also be sealed during the period.
Sealing of borders was necessitated to ensure that unwanted elements would cross the boundaries during the polling day.
District magistrates of all 11 districts issued prohibitory orders banning the assembly of more than 5 people during the silent period to prevent any untoward incidents during the polling.
Also Read: Seven Mizoram Election Candidates Disclose Criminal and Serious Criminal Cases Against Themselves
The CEO also has instructed all the political party leaders and campaigners who are from outside the assembly constituencies to leave the respected constituencies after 4 pm on Sunday.
In reality, campaigning for the coming state assembly elections formally ended on Saturday evening as no political parties, or candidates or their campaigners are openly seen canvassing on Sunday as the day is a sacred and holy day for the Christians in the poll-bound Christian-dominated state. No one dares to venture out for canvassing as the very act may invite the ire of the powerful churches.
A large number of polling parties including security officials to be deployed in far-flung areas and less accessible 149 villages/polling stations were despatched from 6 AM on Sunday till afternoon. All the other 1,127 polling parties are also expected to arrive at their respective polling stations by Monday.
There are 29 vulnerable polling stations and one critical polling station, mainly along the international and international border areas across the state.
The CEO said that there are 8,57,093 voters, including 4,39,026 female voters and 4,975 service voters in the state. He said that webcasting will be undertaken in 769 (60 per cent)of the of the 1,276 polling stations.
He said that besides 3,000 odd state police personnel, 450 sections of central armed police forces (CAPF). There are 21 general observers, 14 expenditure observers and 11 Police observers to oversee the polling process in the state.
The electorates will seal the fates of 140 candidates on Tuesday. Though the number of candidates is 170, four candidates are contesting from 2 assembly seats each making to total number of candidates in the fray 174.
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and the Congress are contesting all the assembly seats while the BJP is contesting 23 seats and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fields candidates in 4 seats. There are 27 independent nominees.
The MNF, ZPM and the Congress party field 2 women candidates each while the BJP fields 3 women candidates after withdrawing one woman candidate under the pressure of the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo students federation, for being a spouse of a non-tribal. The Congress party, however, refused to buckle under the MZP diktat with Meriam L. Hrangchal continuing to be in the fray.
