AIZAWL: At least 3000 policemen and 450 sections of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for the Mizoram assembly elections, slated for November 7, a senior election official said on Wednesday.
Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas said that the Election Commission has devised a proper security plan and is making massive efforts to ensure a smooth, free, fair and peaceful election.
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“Out of 450 sections of CAPF, 10 companies of Border Security Force (BSF) and 5 companies each of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have reached Mizoram and are already in their places of deployment,” Vyas told a news conference in Aizawl.
He said that arrangements have also been made to deploy a chopper in Aizawl to be on standby on polling day in Mizoram.
According to the official, cash, drugs, liquor and other contrabands worth Rs 36.32 crore have been seized so far since the announcement of elections schedule.
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Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly will be held in a single phase on November 7 and counting of votes will be held on December 3.
Vyas said that the CEO office had received several representations from political parties and organisations seeking a change in counting date and the letters were forwarded to the Election Commission.
The Central poll panel has not replied to the pleas till now, he said.
The CEO said that poll preparedness is going on in full swing.
First training of polling parties have been completed and second training is going on, he said.
Allocation of EVMs and VVPATs to assembly constituencies and to various polling stations have been completed through first and second randomisation, he said.
He said that commissioning of EVMs and VVPATs will commence from Friday and 48 engineers from Electronic Corporation of India (ECIL) will be deployed for the purpose.
All districts have also collected their ballot papers on Thursday and e-postal ballots have been generated and transmitted to all 4,975 service voters, he said.
According to the CEO, home voting facilities will be provided to a total of 2,092 senior citizens (80+) and Persons with Disability (PwD).
State level and district level Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) teams are organising young voters’ festival, cycling rallies, EVM demonstration camps and have also taken various innovative activities, including dissemination of awareness on public transport through flyers and jingles on social media platforms, according to the CEO.
Of the total 1,276 polling stations, around 30 have been identified as critical and vulnerable, Vyas said.
He said that webcasting will be installed in 765 polling stations.
Altogether 174, including 18 women, are in the fray for the Mizoram assembly polls.
Two each of male and female candidates are contesting from two assembly constituencies.
The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded 40 seats each.
BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have fielded 23 and 4 seats respectively.
Besides, there are 27 candidates, who contested as independents.
Four constituencies- Aizawl North-III, Aizawl South-I, Serchhip and Lunglei West have the maximum number of candidates and will witnessed six-cornered contest, while Tawi, Champhai South, East Tuipui nd South Tuipui constituencies have the least candidates and will see three-cornered contest.
More than 8.57 lakh electorates, including 4,39,026 female voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming assembly polls.