Mizoram's opposition party ZPM raced ahead of the ruling MNF as counting progressed on Monday morning. The initial trends show that the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) was ahead in 11 seats, while the Mizo National Front (MNF) was leading in six seats.
However, the Election Commission website showed that the ZPM was leading in one seat and the BJP was leading in one.
Though there are four major contenders in Mizoram, the battle is primarily between the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM). The Congress and the BJP too have fielded candidates.
Some exit polls have predicted a clean sweep by the ZPM, but the majority indicated a hung House with no party getting a clear majority.
The counting of votes for the 40 assembly seats in the state began at 8 am. The counting was being held in 13 centres. Postal ballots were counted first, and from 8.30 am, the counting for votes polled in the EVMs began.
Besides three counting centres in the Aizawl district, which has 12 assembly constituencies, one centre each has been set up in the 10 other districts, he said.
In some of the seats that have a lesser number of voters, only two rounds of counting will be held, but in most of the constituencies, five rounds will be counted, he added.
More than 4,000 personnel are involved in the counting process. In all, there are 399 tables for the EVMs and 56 for the counting of postal ballots, the official said.
Nazuk Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said the postal votes have been counted. "Now we have started with round one of EVMs. Everything is peaceful. We have 12 counting halls. We have CAPF deployed in the innermost cordon and state police in the outer cordon," Kumar added.
Polling was held on November 7, and over 80 per cent of the state's 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise. A total of 174 candidates, including 18 women, were in the fray.
The MNF, ZPM and Congress contested 40 seats each, while the BJP fielded candidates in 23 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested the assembly polls here for the first time, fought in four seats. Also, there were 17 Independent candidates.
In the last assembly elections, held in 2018, the MNF had won 26 seats and the ZPM secured eight seats, relegating the Congress that agged five seats to the third place. The BJP had won one seat.
(With PTI inputs)