AIZAWL: At least 85.30 per cent of votes have been polled in the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) polls as voting ended at 5 pm on Thursday, an official said.
Siaha deputy commissioner Lalsangliana, who is the returning officer, said that polling went peaceful in all the 25 constituencies. Polling was smooth and calm except for the replacement of an EVM at a polling station due to a glitch during the 10-hour long polling, he said.
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“As per our provisional data, the total voter turnout is 85.30 per cent. The polling percentage is unlikely to go up though we are yet to issue final data after a cross-check,” he said.
There are 42,342 electorates, including 21,969 female voters in the MADC.
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Counting of votes will be held at 10 am on May 9 at the deputy commissioner conference hall in Siaha, according to Lalsangliana.
A total of 85 candidates, including 5 independents, were in the fray for the council polls.
The MNF has fielded 25 seats, while the BJP has contested from 24 constituencies, Congress (23) and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM)-8 seats.
In the last council polls held in May 2017, Congress had won a simple majority by securing 17 seats, while the MNF and Mara Democratic Front (MDF) combine won 7 and one Independent candidates had been declared elected.
In October 2017, the MDF merged with BJP.
The council came under BJP in June 2019 when all Congress members defected to the saffron party.
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The BJP now has 17 members in the 25- member council, MNF (6) and Congress (2).
MADC is one of the three ADCs in Mizoram constituted under the sixth schedule of the constitution for the ethnic Mara tribe in 1972.
The other two ADCs are- Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) and Chakma Autonomous District Council, both located in Mizoram’s southernmost Lawngtlai district.