Mizoram records low turnout of 47 per cent

Aizawl , April 16 Mizoram recorded a low voter turnout of 47 per cent today for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state, which will decide the fate of four candidates.

"The 47 per cent polling figure is provisional as some polling stations in the remote areas remained incommunicado and the final poll percentage might touch 50,"state Joint Chief Electoral Officer Lalhmingthanga said.

Brisk polling was witnessed in the first hours of polling, but voters thinned out during the hot midday hours and again picked up a bit in in the late afternoon.

The percentage of turnout in the last parliamentary polls in 2004 was 63.38, he said

The fate of C L Ruala of the Congress, H Lallungmuana, an independent candidate sponsored by the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) and the Mizoram People&aposs Conference (MPC) combine, Rualpawla an independent and Lalawmpuia Chhangte of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were sealed in EVMs.

The main contest was between Ruala and Lallungmuana.

The highest ever turnout in Mizoram was 81.26 per cent in the 1989 assembly polls and the lowest was barely above 50 per cent in the 1977 parliamentary polls.