A Bru woman showing her identity card outside a polling centre to cast her vote during Mizoram Assembly election in Kanhmun. Photo: Panna Ghosh

Over 53 percent turnout of Bru refugee voters was recorded at refugee camps in Tripura for the Mizoram Assembly elections on Wednesday.

A huge numbers of Bru refugee voters came out to cast their votes at Kanhmun, an inter-state border village between Mizoram and Tripura.

Bru refugee voters from the six refugee camps were seen standing in queue since 5 in the morning to exercise their franchise. Security was beefed up across Kanhmun to conduct an error-free election. The entire area was brought under CCTV surveillance.

Voting for all the 40 constituencies in Mizoram concluded on Wednesday.

The state is the last bastion of Congress in the Northeast where the party is eyeing a third consecutive term.

The seven camps of the Bru refugees identified as Naishingpara, Ashapara, Hezachara in Kanchanpur sub division and Casco, Kasco, Khakchang, Hamssapara, Navodaypara are located between 2 km and 45 km from the inter-state border between Tripura and Mizoram.

The Bru refugees voted for eight assembly constituencies represented by 44 candidates covering four districts of Mizoram including Mammith, Kalashib, Hachhek Dampa and Lungle.

Vice President of the Naisingpara refugee camp, Laldongilana, said vote was peaceful but the facilities were not up to the mark. “There was no shed, no drinking water facility. The supply of food supply was not sufficient,” he said.

Panna Ghosh is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dharmanagar in Tripura. He can be reached at: [email protected]