Aizawl: Polling for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly began on Tuesday morning amid tight security along the state's sensitive borders with Manipur, Assam and Tripura, besides Bangladesh and Myanmar.
An electorate of 6,11,124 voters, including service voters, will decide the fate of 205 candidates, which include nine women and 36 independents.
This is the fourth Assembly election since Mizoram attained statehood in February 1987, a year after the Mizo Peace Accord was signed.
The three main contenders are the the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Congress and and the United Democratic Alliance.
The MNF is contesting 39 seats, while its junior pre-poll partner Mara Democratic Front (MDF) has fielded one candidate.
The opposition Congress has fielded candidates in all the 40 seats, while the United Democratic Front, an alliance of the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) and Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), are contesting in 37 constituencies.
Other parties like the BJP, Lok Janshakti Party, Lok Bharti and NCP are also in the fray.
Prominent candidates are Chief Minister Zoramthanga, contesting from Champai North and South constituencies, Leader of Opposition and PCC chief Lalthanhawhla from Serchhip and Tuipui South while former chief minister Brig T Sailo is UDA's candidate from Aizawl West II.
Campaigning was a low key affair on the diktats of Mizo People's Front, a church body, which imposed restrictions on ostentatious display.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who campaigned for the Congress, came down heavily on the alleged corruption of the ruling MNF. BJP National President Rajnath Singh also campaigned for his party.
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