The crucial assembly poll is underway in the northeastern state of Mizoram and during the initial stage of polling, the state has reported a shocking news that Chief Minister Zoramthanga couldn't cast his vote. He was pushed to walk away from the polling booth without casting his vote owing to a glitch in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). 

Mizoram has forty assembly seats and the state is being ruled by Mizo National Front (MNF) led by Zoramthanga. On Tuesday - November 7, Mizoram has begun voting to elect a new government and a single-phase polling is underway in all the constituencies in the midst of heavy security deployment. Mizoram has around 8.5 lakh eligible voters and the ruling front is locking horns with the Congress party.  

While MNF, Congress, and Zoram People's Movement had fielded candidates in all forty seats, the central ruling BJP has fielded candidates in 23 seats and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is contesting in four seats. According to reports, Mizoram has reported a voter turnout of 12.80% as of 9 am and the malfunctioning of EVM while the Chief Minister was at the polling station had made headlines across the nation. 

Chief Minister Zoramthanga had reached the polling station at 19-Aizawl Venglai-I YMA hall polling station under the Aizawl North-II assembly constituency. However, he left the station as the EVM wasn't working properly. While leaving the polling station, Zoramthanga said, "The machine was not working. I was in the polling booth for some time but since the machine could not work, I said that I will visit my constituency and vote after the morning meet." 

Following that, he left for his constituency and it is expected that he would turn up to the polling station soon to cast his vote. Zoramthanga had also expressed confidence that his party would form the next government in the state. Speaking to ANI, he said, "Even with the Covid in which there was a great problem all over the world, we fought more or less successfully against Covid. Despite that, here in Mizoram, we did a lot of developmental work. Therefore, I believe that in order to continue the works that we have laid down, we shall be able to form the government." 

Zoramthanga further said that there will not be a hung assembly in Mizoram and his party will form the government. "In order to form the government, 21 seats are needed. We hope that we will be able to get more that, maybe 25 or more. I believe that we will have a comfortable majority", he added. The votes will be counted on December 3 during which the results will be announced.

Along with Mizoram, the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana will also go for the assembly polls and the results for all the states will be declared on December 3. As these polls hold significance for their timeline as they are being held months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the results of these elections are expected to be instrumenal and would reflect in the results of the general elections.