Aizawl, Dec 4 : The opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has surged ahead establishing early leads in 27 constituencies in the vote count for the 40-seat Mizoram Assembly on Monday.
According to official data, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) has fallen far behind, with leads in only nine seats.
The BJP nominees are ahead of their rivals in three seats. The Congress was lying in fourth position, with only one of its candidates maintaining a lead.
Chief Minister and MNF candidate Zoramthanga was trailing by 640 votes to ZPM nominee Lalthansanga in the Aizawl East-1 seat after the first round of counting.
The state went to the polls on November 7.
State additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela said over 4,000 counting officials are involved in the counting exercise being conducted in 399 counting tables housed in 13 counting centres spread over 11 district headquarters.
Altogether there are 40 counting halls, one for each assembly constituency. Every counting hall is monitored by one counting observer..
Chief Electoral officer Madhup Vyas told reporters hat fool-proof security arrangements have ben made with the deployment of both the state police and the central armed police force (CAPF) in all the counting halls.
A total of 170 candidates are in the fray. However, with four of them contesting from two assembly seats each, the tal number of contestants have gone up to 174.
The MNF, ZPM and Congress are fighting in all the assembly seats while the BJP is in the race in 23 seats and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in four. There are 27 independent aspirants.
The Election Commission on Friday deferred the counting from December 3 (Sunday) to 4 following representations from the church, the political parties, civil society and non-governmental organisations.
In a press release, the EC said Sunday holds “special significance” for the people of Mizoram, as it is a day for attending church in the Christian-majority state.
