Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), originally an alliance of six regional parties led by former Member of Parliament Lalduhoma, swept the 2023 Mizoram polls, results of which were announced Monday.
The party emerged with a clear majority, winning 27 of 40 assembly seats. Not only did Lalduhoma win the Serchhip seat from where he had contested hours into the counting of votes, Mizoram CM and Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Zoramthanga lost to ZPM’s Lalthansanga by over 2000 votes in the Aizwal East-I constituency.
The state has elected alternating governments of the Congress and MNF every five years since 1984.
Deferred by a day, the counting of votes in Mizoram began at 8 am Monday.
Of the five exit polls analysed by ThePrint, four predicted an MNF victory, while one predicted a ZPM sweep.
Polling was held at 1,276 polling stations across the state, which has 8.56 lakh voters, in a single phase on 7 November. According to the Election Commission of India, the state recorded a total turnout of 69.78 percent.
Here is ThePrint for LIVE coverage of Mizoram Election Results 2023.
Mizoram Election Results LIVE UPDATES:
4.45 pm: The tally stands at ZPM 27 seats, MNF 10 seats, BJP two seats and Congress one seat.
Lalduhoma, ZPM’s chief ministerial candidate was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that he would meet Hari Babu Kambhampati Tuesday to stake claim to the government. “Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow [Tuesday or Wednesday] I will meet the Governor… Swearing-in will be within this month” Lalduhoma said.
He added: “Mizoram is facing financial crises… That is what we are going to inherit from the outgoing government…We are going to fulfill our commitment… Financial reform is necessary, and for that, we are going to make a resource mobilisation team.”
2.40pm: Mizoram CM Zoramthanga loses to ZPM’s Lalthansanga by over 2,000 votes. Zoramthanga, a three-term CM, spearheaded a rebellion against the mighty Indian State in 1965, serving as a close confidante of his mentor Laldenga, who founded the Mizo National Famine Front. The front was later christened as MNF.
2.20 pm: Mizoram BJP president Vanlalhmuaka was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “…Earlier I said that people expected a hung assembly but after seeing the results, it is a little unexpected but we accept it and we respect the people’s mandate….Under the leadership of PM Modi and JP Nadda [BJP president], BJP is progressing a lot in Mizoram. In 2018, we were getting only one seat but now we are about to get 3 seats, we have already secured two…”. According to the latest Election Commission figures, BJP has won two seats and is currently not leading in any others.
1.35: ZPM crosses halfway mark, wins 21 of 40 assembly seats. MNF in second spot with seven seats, BJP in third with two and Congress is yet to win any. Counting of votes still on.
1.15: ZPM declared winner in 18 seats, leading in nine. Among the key faces of this election, while ZPM chief Lalduhoma has already been declared winner in Serchhip, Mizoram Deputy CM and MNF leader Tawnluia lost in Tuichang with a margin of 909 votes, former Speaker and BJP leader Lalrinliana Sailo lost in Mamit by 4,713 votes and former MNF leader K. Beichhua, who joined BJP ahead of the elections, won in Saiha with 616 votes.
12.30 pm: ZPM president Lalduhoma declared winner in Serchhip. Party wins 14 seats, leading in 14. CM Zoramthanga trailing in Aizwal East-I by over 2,000 votes, behind ZPM’s Lalthansanga.
11.25 am: ZPM’s Lalnghinglova Hmar wins in Aizawl West-II. Party leading in 24 seats.
10.30 am: Election Commission of India (ECI) announces first victor — ZPM’s W. Chhuanawma wins Tuichang with a margin of 909 votes over closest rival, MNF’s Tawnluia. ZPM now ahead in more than half seats — 27 (in addition to one already won) as against the MNF lead in eight. BJP leading in three seats and Congress in one.
10.10 am: ZPM’s Aizawl West II candidate, Lalnghinglova Hmar, told news agency ANI, “…During the first round, I am leading by around 2000 votes, which looks healthy… But anything can happen in the second round… We are hopeful of getting a seat in my constituency… My prediction on polling day was 25 seats for ZPM… “.
9.40 am: ZPM leading in 12 constituencies of Chalfilh, Tawi, Aizawl West-I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl South-III, Champhai South, Serchhip, Tuikum, Hrangturzo, South Tuipui, Lunglei North and Lawngtlai East. MNF ahead in eight, BJP in two and Congress in one seats.
9.15 am: ZPM and MNF are going neck-to-neck, with each leading in three seats, according to Election Commission of India data, while both BJP and Congress are leading in one each. News agencies quoting local television channels are, however, claiming that initial trends show ZPM leading in 11 seats.
9.05 am: ZPM candidate Professor Lalnilawma is leading in Tawi by a margin of 669 votes, while the party’s candidate in South Tuipui, Jeje Lalpekhlua, is leading with 173 votes. The BJP, Congress and MNF are leading in one constituency each.
8.45 am: With counting of postal ballots having begun, here’s how key political players in the fray fared in 2018:
The MNF won 27 seats with 37.70 percent of the vote, while the Congress won four seats with 29.98 percent of the vote. Eight seats were won by Independents and one by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which garnered 8.09 percent of the total votes polled in the state.
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