Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram Election 2018 Highlights: Displaced Brus crossing over from Tripura to Kanhmun to cast their votes. (Source: CEO Mizoram)
Madhya Pradesh (MP), Mizoram Assembly Election 2018 Highlights: Voting for the state Assembly elections ended in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram Wednesday evening. For the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, it is largely a two-way contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. BJP, a party that has been in power for 15 years and battling anti-incumbency, will be looking for a fourth term in a row while the Congress is hoping to cause an upset. Polling will begin at 8 am till 5 pm in 227 seats, while in three Assembly segments of Lanji, Paraswada and Baihar in the Naxal-affected Balaghat district, the voting time is between 7 am to 3 pm.
In Mizoram, the ruling Congress party will be eyeing a third consecutive term, the party has been in power in the state since 2008. The Congress and the main Opposition, the MNF, have fielded 40 candidates each, while the BJP is contesting in 39 seats for the 40-member Assembly. The voting process began at 7 am, amid tight security, and would continue till 4 pm, Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra said. Borders with neighbouring countries — Myanmar and Bangladesh, and states — Tripura, Assam and Manipur, have been sealed in view of the polls.
The results will be declared on December 11 along with three other states.
Bru refugees wait in queue outside polling station at Kanhmun in Mizoram on Wednesday morning. (Express photo by Debraj Deb)
About 71 per cent votes were cast at the end of polling in Mizoram, PTI quoted state Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra.
Polling for the state Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh ended. A polling percentage of 65.5 per cent was recorded.
Three employees died due to health reasons while performing their poll duties since morning in Dhar, Indore and Guna districts, he said. The Chief Election commission officer said that at Gadhpura in Bhind district, a person was injured in violence but it was not poll-related. Over three lakh government employees, including nearly 45,000 women, are on poll duty across the state.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday urged people in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram to exercise their franchise in large numbers, saying "time for change" has come and electors should vote for prosperity and progress.
As many as 745 EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines were replaced Wednesday in Madhya Pradesh, where voting for the Assembly elections is underway, a senior poll official said.
The announcement by state Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao came after Congress leaders claimed that EVMs at many places had malfunctioned.
"There have been several complaints that EVMs at many places malfunctioned. We have have written to the Election Commission and demanded that voting time in these polling booths should be extended to compensate for the delay," Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said.
Nearly 54 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 3 pm Wednesday in the Mizoram Assembly elections.
On instances of EVMs malfunctioning in Madhya Pradesh CEC O P Rawat said, "There were few complaints on malfunction of some EVMs & VVPAT machines, they’ve been replaced. If it's observed that voters left due to malfunction, we can consider re-polling at that particular polling station."
CEC O P Rawat responds to Jyotiraditya Scindia's request that EC should extend polling time due to EVM malfunction. Rawat said, "There are provisions for extension of time at polling booths, the local officers can take the call as they see fit. The matter does not need to be handled by the commission."
Forty-two VVPATs, 25 ballot units and 19 control units were being replaced in various polling stations, the Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra said. Bru voters from six relief camps in North Tripura district were arriving in batches at Kanhmun village, along the Mizoram-Tripura border, where 15 temporary polling stations have been set up.
Mizoram Elections 2018: Nodal officer Abhishek Kumar appointed for the special polling booths set up for Bru refugees at Kanhmun, said that 21 per cent of all Bru refugees cast their votes by 11 am in 15 polling booths which were used for nine assembly constituencies.
Madhya Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 21% while Mizoram saw 29 per cent of polling till 11 am, reports ANI.
There have been many complaints of several EVMs malfunctioning, have written to the Election Commission on the issue. I have requested that voting time in these polling booths be extended to compensate for the delay: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia
Around 70 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were replaced at various polling booths across the central state following complaints of technical snags, MP's Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao told reporters.
Election Commission announces Rs 10 lakh compensation for the kin of three EC officials who passed away while on election duty in Madhya Pradesh. One official from Guna while two in Indore were reported to have passed away. (ANI)
I assure you that on December 11 Congress will form the government with the blessings of the people: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia in Gwalior after casting his vote (ANI)
A large number of Bru refugees have turned up at the polling stations at Kanhmun this morning, unlike the previous years. An election nodal officer deputed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to the Bru polling centers, who wished to stay anonymous, said Bru voter turnout was very high this year. "They started coming here since 6 AM in the morning. Till now there is around 10 percent turnout in the 15 polling booths set up for nine assembly constituencies at Kanhmun", he said pointing at a long queue of Bru refugees waiting to cast their vote.
Saitarung Reang, 60, who lived in Chili village of Mamit district has been living in Khakchang refugee camp in Tripura for 21 years. She turned up at Kanhmun near the Tripura-Mizoram border on Wednesday morning to cast her vote. Asked what she wanted from the new government, the sexagenarian said she wants a district council for Bru in Mizoram and a safe life back home in her village. Repatriation was tried as a durable solution for the Bru refugees and eight phases of repatriation were held since 2009. However, only around 7000 have gone back. The rest say they have fear and insecurity for going back. (Express photo)
The 2018 Congress manifesto talks about improvement of indigenous cow breeds while mentioning the animal many times. The “religious trust and endowments” head employs terminology usually used by the BJP for rivers.
The 2018 ‘Vachan Patra’ makes several references to the cow, promising gaushalas and sanctuaries, commercial production of gaumutra and dung, promises to develop Ram Van Gaman Path, laws for conserving sacred rivers mentioned in the scriptures, and promoting Sanskrit, among causes usually espoused by the BJP.
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Madhya Pradesh: Police seizes campaign material from BJP polling agents at Bhopal's Saint Mary as it was within 200 meters of a polling booth. One person was taken to custody. (ANI)
Bruichakma Reang, a Bru refugee voter of Hachek constituency shows her ink mark after casting vote at a polling station set up for Bru refugees at Kanhmun in Mizoram. (Express photo by Debraj Deb)
Three election officers have reportedly died in Madhya Pradesh. One EC official in Guna while and two in Indore passed away due to cardiac arrest, ANI reported.
Development is a word heard often in Chambal district, left out as it has been in the race for either industrial evolution, or even agricultural revolution that has swept most other areas of the state. Over the years, there has been much debate on what to do on the terrains of Chambal. The government has considered razing sections of the ravines into farmlands, but environmentalists contend that the area’s ecology is sensitive.
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Polling booths for Hachek, Dampa and Mamit assembly constituencies had 12% votes cast till 9 am. Thorang constituency had 25.8% votes cast while around 9% votes were cast at Kolasib constituency. Polling is in progress at Kanhmun for 9 assembly constituencies of Mizoram where Bru refugees living in Tripura were registered as voters. Polling began at 7 am, there is no report of violence.
Bru refugees wait in queue outside the polling station at Kanhmun in Mizoram on Wednesday morning. (Source: Express photo by Debraj Deb)
Two faulty EVMs in Ujjain have been replaced, 11 VVPAT machines in Alirajpur, 5 VVPAT and 2 EVMs in Burhanpur were also replaced. (ANI)
Mizoram witnesses 15% voter turnout till 9 am. The voting process started at 7am and will continue till 4 pm. Former chief minister and opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) chief Zoramthanga was among the first ones to vote. The election office sources said 40 companies of Central armed police force in addition to the state police force have been deployed to ensure free and fair polls. Borders with neighbouring countries Myanmar and Bangladesh and states Tripura, Assam and Manipur have been sealed since Sunday in view of the polls.
While many Congress stalwarts including former chief minister Digvijay Singh, state Congress President Kamal Nath and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia are not contesting the assembly polls, they also have a lot at stake to ensure their party's victory in their respective bastions.
Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan is contesting from his forte Raghogarh for the second time in a row, while his brother Laxman Singh is trying his luck from Chanchoda seat. Former Congress leader Arjun Singh's son and leader of opposition Ajay Singh is contesting from his traditional Churht seat in Sidhi district. (PTI)
Mizoram is the last bastion of the Congress in the northeast. The Congress has been in power in the state since 2008 and is eyeing a third consecutive term. In 2013 assembly elections, the Congress won 34 seats, while the Mizo National Front (MNF) had five and Mizoram People’s Conference bagged one seat.
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Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP's chief ministerial face, is contesting from his traditional Budhni seat in Sehore district pitted against former Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Arun Yadav. While Chouhan has called Yadav a "scapegoat", the Congress leader is leaving no stone unturned by way of what he calls his expose of tall claims of development in the high profile constituency. (PTI)
Here's a look at some stats as voting begins in Madhya Pradesh.
Displaced Brus crossing over from Tripura to Kanhmun in Mizoram to cast their votes. (Source: Mizoram CEO)
Food arrangements at Kanhmun. (Source: Mizoram CEO)
I have full faith in the people of Madhya Pradesh, they are simple and innocent people who have been robbed for a long time by BJP: Congress minister Kamal Nath. (ANI)
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