EVMs used in Mizoram "sealed" in 40 strong rooms

AIZAWL: All Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in Mizoram Lok Sabha polls have been sealed and kept in designated strong rooms under strict surveillance in anticipation of the upcoming counting on June 4, a senior election official said on Sunday.

Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the northeastern state was held on April 19.

Mizoram Additional Chief Electoral Officer H. Lianzela said that EVMs and Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were brought from all polling stations to the designated strong rooms in Aizawl and 10 other district headquarters by polling officials on Friday and Saturday.

He said that there are 40 strong rooms in the state, one each for one assembly constituency, which are guarded by security forces to prevent any unauthorised access or tempering, he said.

Votes will be counted on June 4 along with the rest of the country, he said.

The election department has set up 13 polling centres, including 3 in Aizawl, across the state.

There are 40 counting halls, one each for one assembly segment.

Post-poll scrutiny of EVMs and VVPAT machines was held on Saturday.

The election department said that a total of 56.87 per cent of voting was recorded in the Lok Sabha polls, excluding those voted through postal ballots and Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS).

Of the total 8,56,364 voters, 4,87,103 voters, including 2,45,800 female voters, exercise their franchise, it said.

More than 3,500 policemen and 12 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) were deployed in the Lok Sabha polls and polling was held in a peaceful atmosphere, the department said.

Six candidates, one each from the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, People's Conference (PC) party and an independent candidate are in the fray.