Aizawl: Voting for the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) began on Tuesday morning, April 21, with polling progressing peacefully and no reports of disruption from any part of the city.
Polling is being held across 19 wards in 264 polling stations, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. A total of 239,989 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, including 129,656 women and 110,333 men. Women voters outnumber men by 19,323, continuing the trend of higher female participation in the state.
Ward 18 has the highest number of electors at 18,906, while Ward 8 has the lowest at 7,975. Among localities, Bawngkawn Veng in Ward 2 has the largest voter base with 6,442 registered voters.
The ruling Zoram People’s Movement, along with the Mizo National Front and the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee, is contesting all 19 wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded candidates in 11 wards, while no independent candidates are in the fray.
Six wards are reserved for women, and seven women candidates are also contesting from general wards. ZPM and the Congress have fielded three women candidates each in unreserved wards, while MNF has fielded one.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma said the election could mark a shift in urban governance, citing improved financial capacity for civic development. He said the government aims to strengthen infrastructure, sanitation and employment opportunities for youth, and added that criticism against him had only strengthened his party’s position, with voters unlikely to be influenced by unverified claims.
Counting of votes will be taken up on April 27.
In the 2021 AMC elections, MNF had won 11 seats, ZPM secured six and emerged as the main opposition, while the Congress won two seats.