AIZAWL: Polling for the 16th President seat was held in Mizoram along with the rest of the country under a peaceful atmosphere, an official said.
The official said that polling began at 10 am as per scheduled under strict COVID-19 protocols.
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He said that thermal scanning was done to all electors, while officials dealing with the polls and journalists had their samples tested for COVID-19 two days ahead of the polls.
A medical team has been deployed in case of emergency, he said.
Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga casted his votes at 10:30 am, while Lalchhuanthanga of opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) was the first legislator to have casted his vote, he said.
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Mizoram Assembly speaker Lalrinliana Sailo also casted his vote at 10:36.
There was no law-and-order problem till this report was filed.
Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana is expected to cast his vote at 1 pm, to be followed by Droupadi Murmu’s election agent and MLA Dr K Pachhhunga, who will be the last to cast vote in the Presidential polls, he said.
Voted ballot box will be placed in a strong room after polling ends, he added.
In the 40-member Mizoram assembly, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) headed by Zoramthanga has 28 members, Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM)-7, Congress-5 and the BJP has one member.
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Mizoram has one each of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, who belonged to the MNF and both exercised their franchise in Delhi.
The vote value of one MLA for Mizoram is 8 and the total value of MLA votes is 320.
The total value of two MPs is 1400.
All the 28 ruling MNF members, two MPs and lone BJP MLA would cast their votes in favour of NDA’s nominee Droupadi Murmu, while 6 ZPM legislators and 5 Congress members would go in favour of UPA and other opposition parties’ candidate Jaswant Sinha, highly placed sources said.
Murmu is expected to get 1632 votes (vote values) from Mizoram, while Sinha will get 88 votes.