Assembly Elections LIVE Updates: Voter Turnout In Mizoram Goes Up To 80%

The voter turnout for the Mizoram assembly elections has gone up to around 80% till 9 pm.

"I didn't want this job to start with. Now having taken this job, I am not hungry for a post or position... We don't have a chief ministerial candidate. Whoever our party decides, whatever modality Mr Rahul Gandhi wants to adopt in naming the chief minister, he will do so. I am very happy with that."

"What worries me are the attempts by the BJP to communalise this election. They will try... because this has been their game. That's the card left - to try and communalise the elections. But I think that the people of Madhya Pradesh are smart enough to know that," Kamal Nath tells NDTV.

I haven't seen this in 40 years. Every section of society is against this government, and they are looking for a change. And this change is happening now on a daily basis, on an hourly basis. Kamal Nath said speaking to NDTV.

The Mizoram elections have recorded around 79% voter turnout till 9 pm. This figure could likely increase even more. This is because data from remote areas is still awaited.

Voter turnout at Mizoram has now increased to 77% for the Mizoram assembly elections.

2899 candidates contested the elections in Madhya Pradesh, according to the Election Commission.

Amid the elections in Madhya Pradesh, around 2,132 model code violations were reported across the state.

65,367 polling booths established for the elections in Madhya Pradesh for easy access to voters, according to the Election Commission.

No cases of paid news amid the Mizoram Assembly Elections.

Approximately 6 lakh litres of liquor were seized, 98 notices sent for cases of paid news were sent amid the Madhya Pradesh elections.

The Election Commission, in its press conference, said that there were three kinds of EVM models used in the Madhya Pradesh elections.

Of the total number of candidates who fought the Madhya Pradesh elections, 250 were women candidates and 35 candidates were transgenders.

4,427 model polling stations in state, Over 6,000 queue-less polling stations were managed, according to the Election Commission. 6,500 polling stations had webcasting facility for the Madhya Pradesh elections. Around 198 observors were deployed for the elections in Madhya Pradesh.

3046 polling booths were completely managed by women officials, according to the Election Commission, for the Madhya Pradesh elections.

In the Madhya Pradesh elections, 5 crore 44 lakh voters turned up to exercise their franchise. There has been a jump in gender ratio.

Madhya Pradesh saw a 74.6 per cent voter turnout till 6 pm today in the crucial elections for the heartland state's 230 assembly seats, which is higher than the 72.7 per cent voting recorded in 2013. Mizoram, the BJP's last frontier in the north-east, too, saw a turnout of 75 per cent, far less than last election's 83.4 per cent. Figures for both states are likely to go up as these are provisional numbers. Sporadic incidents of voting machines (EVMs) and paper trail (VVPAT) machines malfunctioning were reported from both the states. The Election Commission said they have been replaced. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is seeking a fourth term in power. The Congress is banking on anti-incumbency for what it calls a "make or break election". Mizoram is one of the five states where Rahul Gandhi's party is still in power. For the BJP, it is a crucial box to be ticked to reach their goal of ruling the northeast.

Total voter turnout in Mizoram till 5 pm is 75%. Figures are likely to go up.

Voter turnout till 5 pm for the elections in Madhya Pradesh is 65.2%.

The voter turnout in the Mizoram elections has been 70% till 4 pm. The elections in Madhya Pradesh by comparison, registered a turnout of only 55.2%.

Criticising the malfunctioning of some Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during the ongoing Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that providing faulty EVMs was a ploy to manipulate people's votes, news agency IANS reported.

Congress state unit chief Kamal Nath on Wednesday requested the poll panel to quickly replace all faulty EVMs and VVPAT machines after 100 complaints were received within the first hour of polling in Madhya Pradesh, according to news agency IANS.

"There is a large number of EVM machines not working properly, we have information from across the state... This is affecting voting. There are long queues outside the polling stations... Why such big glitches? The Election Commission must urgently take steps," the Congress leader tweeted.

Chief Electoral Officer for the state VL Kantha Rao said that complaints of faulty EVMs and VVPATs were received and many were replaced within the first hour itself, according to IANS.

In Ujjain, two faulty electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 11 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were replaced by the Election Commission officials. In Bhuranpur constituency, five VVPATs and two faulty EVMs were replaced by 9 am, an IANS report said.

Taking note of the faulty EVMs, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who cast his vote in Gwalior, tweeted: "There have been reports of the faulty EVMs from across the state. In democracy, vote is the voice of the people -- it is worrying that an effort is being made to suppress it.

"I request the Election Commission to immediately take notice of this and ensure that the polling takes place in a fair manner without any hurdles."

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla on Wednesday cast his vote at Zarkawat polling station, according to news agency ANI.

While speaking to reporters outside the polling booth, Mr Thanhawla expressed confidence of Congress retaining power in the state. He said, quoted by ANI, "I will come with a full majority".

On BJP which has never won a single seat in the state, Mr Thanhawla claimed that BJP this year also will not be able to open its account in the state, an ANI report said.

Mr Thanhawla is seeking a third consecutive term in the office. This year, he is contesting from two seats, Serchhip and Champhai South.

In Madhya Pradesh, voting began at 8 am in the state and will conclude at 5 pm. However, the timings for polling in Baihar, Lanji and Parswada assembly constituencies of Balaghat district have been set from 7 am to 3 pm, according to news agency ANI.

Voter turnout of 33.56 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, according to news agency ANI.

On the one hand, district wise highest voter turnout was recorded in Chhindwara (45 per cent) followed by Ashoknagar (42 per cent), Balaghat (41 per cent) and Burhanpur (40 per cent), according to the Election Commission of India. On the other hand, Dindori recorded the lowest voter turnout (20 per cent), according to ANI.

According to Mizoram's Chief Electoral Officer, around voter turnout in the state was around 67% till 3 pm.

Over 50 per cent of the 7.68 lakh Mizoram voters had their franchise in six hours to elect a new assembly on Wednesday, a poll official said, according to news agency IANS.

"Little over 50 per cent of the 7,68,181 voters cast their votes by 1 p.m.," Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra told the media, quoted by IANS.

Long queues of colourful motley crowd were seen outside many polling booths in all districts well before the voting began at 7 am.

With the polling process in the state being peaceful, police and other official sources in fact put the voting percentage around 62 till 2 pm, according to IANS.

"Conducive situation and favourable climate helped the electorate to exercise their franchise smoothly," Mr Kundra said, adding that some EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and VVPAT (Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) devices malfunctioned, but no untoward incident was reported so far.

The CEO said that several voters aged above 100 cast their votes, with the help of their family members, at different polling stations.

The nine-hour long polling would draw to a close at 4 pm.

Bordered with Myanmar (510 km) and Bangladesh (318 km), the mountainous Mizoram is the Congress' last bastion among the eight Northeastern states.

The turnout in the Madhya Pradesh elections has been 55.2% till 4 pm.

The voter turnout in Mizoram crossed the 50 per cent at 1:30 PM. 

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at a polling station in Madhya Pradesh.

Among the 2,907 candidates in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has fielded candidates in all seats, while the Congress is contesting in 229 seats leaving one seat, Jatara in Tikamgarh district, for Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal.

The BSP has fielded 227 candidates and the SP is contesting in 51 seats. There are 1,102 Independent candidates.

In the last elections, the BJP won 165, Congress 58, BSP four and Independents three. 

Over five crore registered voters in the state consists of 2,63,01,300 men, 2,41,30,390 women and 1,389 of the third gender, who would decide the fate of almost 3,000 candidates.

According to Chief Electoral Officer V.L. Kantha Rao, at over 100 election booths complaints of faulty electronic voting machines or EVMs and VVPAT machines were received. Some of the faulty machines were replaced within the first hour.

In Ujjain, two faulty EVMs and 11 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were replaced by the Election Commission officials.

In Bhuranpur constituency, five VVPATs and two faulty EVMs were replaced by 9 a.m.

Large number of voters from the Bru community turned up in huge numbers at Kanhmun, Mizoram. Special polling arrangements have been made across the state to safeguard the interest of the Bru community. Food and transport facilities are also being provided to those coming to cast votes.

In 1997, large number of people from the Bru community were forced to leave their home state and take shelter in the neighbouring Tripura following ethnic violence between Mizo and Bru tribes.

Voting in some booths in Madhya Pradesh have been delayed due to fault in 42 VVPATs, 19 control units and 25 ballot units.

Five-time Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla is contesting from two seats -- Serchhip and Champhai South. In Serchhip, Mr Thanhawla will be contesting against Zoram People's Movement's (ZPM) chief ministerial candidate Lalduhoma, MNF's C Lalramzauva and People's Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party chief Vanlalruata among others. In Champhai South, he will face MNF's TJ Lalnuntluanga and ZPM's C Lalremliana.

The Election Commission has set up 15 special polling stations at Kanhmun, a village along the Mizoram-Tripura border, to facilitate voting by Reang tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura for the past 21 years.

Of the over 35,000 tribal immigrants, 11,232 are eligible to cast their votes in this election.

"In view of the Assembly polls, the BSF (Border Security Force) and Assam Rifles troopers have been asked to further tighten the security along Mizoram's borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar to prevent any kind of cross-border movements by inimical elements," Mizoram's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Zorammuana was quoted by news agency IANS.

Mizoram is the Congress' last bastion among the eight Northeastern states.

The ruling Congress led by incumbent Chief Minister and state party chief Lal Thanhawla is determined for a third consecutive term against a stiff challenge mounted by the main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) headed by former Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

Both the Congress and MNF have fielded candidates to all the 40 Assembly constituencies.

The Congress has been in power, except for 10 years, since Mizoram became a full-fledged state in 1987. The MNF, a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), ruled during those 10 years -- 1998-2003 and 2003-08.

In order to safeguard the interest of the Bru community, special polling arrangements have been made across the state. Food and transport facilities are also being provided to those coming to cast votes.

As many as 209 candidates are contesting in the 40-member Mizoram  Legislative Assembly. The Congress party, which has been in power in Mizoram since 2008, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the state. Polling would come to an end at 4 pm.

In the previous election in 2013, Congress had fielded 40 candidates while it won 34 seats, whereas Mizo National Front (MNF) secured only five seats after contesting 31 seats. Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) had contested on eight seats but it managed to bag only one.

However, the main contest is likely to be between the ruling Congress and the MNF. Both the parties have fielded 40 candidates each. The BJP has fielded candidates in 39 constituencies. 

Since it became a full-fledged state in 1987, the Congress and the Mizoram National Party have ruled Mizoram. In the 2013 elections, the Congress won 34 seats, the MNF, got five and the Mizoram People's Conference bagged one seat. No party has been able to form government thrice.

In Ujjain, two electronic voting machines were found faulty and they have been replaced, the Election Commission said. In Alirajpur, a total 11 voter-verifiable paper trail or VVPAT machines were replaced. In Burhanpur, five VVPAT and two EVM were replaced.

The Samajwadi Party will try its luck on 52 seats while the Aam Aadmi Party -- which is contesting the Madhya Pradesh elections for the first time -- has fielded 208 candidates.

PM Modi has appealed voters in Mizoram to turnout in large numbers. 

"I request my sisters and brothers of Mizoram, particularly the dynamic youth of the state, to turnout in large numbers and vote," he tweeted.

PM Modi's party, the BJP, has never won a seat in the 40-member assembly.

In all 768,181 voters, including 393,685 women, are casting their vote in Mizoram. 

The Congress party, which has been in power in Mizoram since 2008, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the state. In the previous election in 2013, Congress had fielded 40 candidates while it won 34 seats, whereas Mizo National Front (MNF) secured only five seats after contesting 31 seats. Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) had contested on eight seats but it managed to bag only one.

BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted on the Mizoram polls. He said, "As voting in Mizoram begins, I appeal all my sisters and brothers of state to turnout in record numbers and vote. Your one vote will lay the foundation of a prosperous and corruption free Mizoram."