LS polls: 6,500 polling personnel, 3K policemen, 12 companies of CAPF to be deployed in Mizoram

AIZAWL — At least 6,500 polling personnel, over 3,000 policemen and 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Mizoram, a senior election official said here on Monday.

Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state will be held on Friday.

“All arrangements are complete and we have also commissioned the EVMs. We are ready for the polls,” Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas told PTI.

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He said the 6,500 polling personnel have already undergone two rounds of training and the final round is scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday.

Vyas confirmed that the polling personnel assigned to the 168 polling stations will be dispatched to their respective locations on Wednesday, with the remaining personnel scheduled for dispatch on Thursday.

He said 12 companies of CAPF including seven companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), three companies of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and two companies of Border Security Force (BSF) apart from over 3,000 policemen will be deployed across the state for the polls.

According to the CEO, 1,276 polling stations and four auxiliary polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 751 are in rural areas and 525 are in urban areas.

There are 14 vulnerable polling stations and five critical ones, which are mainly along the inter-state border and international border areas, he said.

Over 8.56 lakh electorate, including 4.4 lakh women voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polls, Vyas said.

Six candidates, one each from the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, People’s Conference (PC) party and an independent, are in the fray.

Entrepreneur Richard Vanlalhmangaiha is representing the ZPM, the MNF has chosen incumbent Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena, and the Congress has put forward political newcomer Lalbiakzama, a retired officer from the Mizoram Police Service (MPS) and former state home secretary.

The BJP has nominated its state president, Vanlalhmuaka, while the PC party has selected the well-known singer and lyricist Rita Malsawmi.

Lalhriatrenga Chhangte, who lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is contesting again as independent.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, then ruling MNF nominee C. Lalrosanga defeated his nearest opponent Lalnghinglova Hmar, an independent candidate backed by the Congress and ZPM, by a margin of 8,140 votes.

The MNF had a vote share of 44.9 per cent, Congress-ZPM combine 43.6 per cent and BJP 5.75 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.