A 2.6 percentage points decline in vote share of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) caused the ruling party to lose 16 seats in Mizoram Assembly this year compared to 2018 poll results, Election Commission of India (ECI) data showed on Monday. As per the ECI, the MNF vote share stood at 35.1 per cent this time as against 37.7 per cent in 2018.

The ruling MNF has faced a rout as it could corner only 10 seats, 16 down from its tally five years ago, as it got 2,46,388 votes in total.

Polling for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly was held on November 7 with a voter turnout of over 82 per cent. The state has a total voter base of 8,57,063 people.

The Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) pocketed 37.86 per cent of the votes polled in the elections and won 27 seats. It received 2,65,755 votes in favour of party candidates.

With eight members, the ZPM was the main opposition party in the outgoing Mizoram Assembly.

Although ZPM was formed in 2017, it got ECI's recognition in 2019. So, this is the first time that ZPM contested the polls as a party, because its members were in fray in 2018 as independents.

The biggest loser is the Congress, which had received 29.98 per cent votes five years ago but it dwindled to 20.82 per cent this time. After getting 1,46,113 votes, the grand old party could win only one seat compared to five in 2018.

The BJP, which doubled in strength in the Mizoram House to two MLAs with 35,524 votes in its kitty from a single legislator in 2018, saw its vote share decline. It received 5.06 per cent of votes as against 8.09 per cent five years ago.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested for the first time in Mizoram and failed to win any seat. It got 615 votes, registering 0.09 per cent of the total polled votes.

In the category of others, which mostly included independents, 4,749 votes (0.68 per cent) were polled.

A total of 2,778 voters, transforming into 0.4 per cent, pressed the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) button. It was 0.46 per cent in 2018.

The MNF, ZPM and Congress fielded candidates in all the 40 seats this time. The BJP contested in 23 constituencies, while the AAP nominated candidates in four assembly segments. Besides, there were 27 independent contestants.

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