Aizawl: The small hill state of Mizoram, among the last few states and the only one in the northeast with the Congress, is all set to vote for a new government on Wednesday. Polling in the 40-member legislative assembly will decide the fate of 209 candidates. While the Congress and Mizo National Front (MNF), the main opposition and an ally of the BJP at the centre, are contesting all 40 seats, the BJP -- which has never won an assembly election in Mizoram -- has fielded candidates in 39 seats.
Fifteen women, up from only six in 2013, are contesting this time. None of the candidates could win a seat.
Polling begins at 7 in the morning and will continue till 4 pm. Votes will be counted on December 11. The five-year term of the Mizoram Assembly ends on December 15.
The state with a population of about 10 lakh, including nearly 7.68 lakh voters, is seen by the BJP as the "final frontier" in the North-East as it is in power in all other states of the region -- either by winning polls or aligning with regional parties.
Ahead of the voting, the authorities have sealed India's borders that the state shares with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Around 11,100 security personnel, including para-military and state security forces, have been deployed to ensure incident-free elections.
The Congress party, which has been in power in Mizoram since 2008, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the state. In 2013, the Congress had won 34 of the 40 seats and the MNF could manage only five after contesting 31 seats. Of the eight seats it contested, the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) won only one.
The Congress has been in power, except for 10 years, since the Mizoram become a full-fledged state in 1987. The MNF, a constituent of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), ruled the state between 1998 and 2008.
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.
About 12,026 Brus (Reangs), who have been staying at six relief camps in Tripura for the last 21 years, will be able to vote in Mamit district's Kanhmun village, where 15 temporary polling stations have been set up, said Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra.
Mizoram shares 310-km unfenced borders with Bangladesh and 510-km boundary with Myanmar. The Border Security Force (BSF) troopers have been deployed along the Bangladesh borders, while the Assam Rifles have been posted along the Myanmar border.
Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra said here that the electoral officials escorted by security personnel have already reached all the 1,164 polling stations across the state.
The VVPAT (Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines will also be used along with EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) in all the 40 constituencies.
The smaller parties as well as the church-backed Mizoram People's Forum are expected to plays a crucial role in this election.
A joint platform of six regional parties backed by several powerful civil society groups may upset the MNF's poll arithmetic. The Zoram Peoples' Movement (ZPM) may also turn out to be the kingmaker, which is why national parties like Congress and BJP see them as possible post-poll partners.
The MNF has been out of power for 10 years now. The party's performance was dismal in the last two assembly polls and this time the task doesn't look easy at all. But it's optimistic as the state has a history where governments change every 10 years. The party has also suggested that it may not ally with the BJP to unseat the Congress this time.
"I have a strong belief that I don't need any other party and particularly the BJP to form government," said MNF president and former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, who ran the state between 1998 and 2008.
Assam's Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the BJP's in charge for Mizoram elections, said that the party is keeping all its options open. While Congress remains a rival, the party could explore post-polls options with Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, said Mr Sarma.
"It is not like that MNF is the only option for post poll alliance," he said.
He told NDTV, "I say this because in Mizoram, Congress has a separate constitution. It has a unique history. As a party, its constitution is different from the rest of the country. Lal Thanhawla can take independent decisions. We are friendly with the chief minister as an individual."