GUWAHATI: An 80 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 8pm in the Mizoram Assembly elections on Wednesday, which went off without any major incident.
In the 2013 elections, the registered turnout stood at 83 per cent. This time’s numbers are expected to increase as poling was still ongoing at the time of going to press.
The highlight of the polls was the participation of displaced Bru voters who were transported to Kahnmun in Mizoram from Tripura for the first time since they fled to the neighbouring state over 21 years ago.
On the whole, 11,987 refugees were voters. “The Tripura government helped us in transporting the Bru voters.
This was possible due to cooperative federalism... The process of voting will continue till the time the last person has cast his/her vote,” the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashish Kundra said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla was confident the Congress would retain power with a full majority.
“We are winning in at least 27 (of the 40) seats...” he asserted. Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga, was also optimistic about his party’s electoral fortunes.