108-year old man is oldest to cast vote in Mizoram election

HUGE VOTER TURNOUT AS MADHYA PRADESH AND MIZORAM HOLD ASSEMBLY POLLS

More than 75 per cent of voters in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram cast their ballots yesterday, during Assembly elections in the two states, where incumbent governments are seeking a straight fourth and third terms in office respectively.

Polling of around 75 per cent had been recorded as of 6pm in Madhya Pradesh’s 227 assembly constituencies, compared to 72.13 per cent recorded in the 2013 assembly polls, Election Commission officials said in New Delhi.

In the state’s remaining three Maoist-affected constituencies of Balaghat district’s Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada, polling was recorded at 78 per cent, 79.07 per cent and 80.06 per cent respectively.

Polling in these three constituencies began at 7am and finished at 3pm.

Shooting incident arrests

Mizoram witnessed 75 per cent polling by 5pm at the close of polling. However, the officials said that the polling percentage would go up as in many constituencies the communication facilities were not there, thus they had not received the actual figures.

“Once we get the actual figures from those constituencies, the percentage of polling would go up,” the official said.

In 2013, Mizoram witnessed 83.41 per cent polling and 82.35 per cent voter turnout in 2008.

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in Mizoram after 2003. The official said the highlight of the day in Mizoram was that more than 10,000 elderly voters exercised their franchise with a 108-year old man, 106-year old woman on wheelchair and 103-year-old man coming out to vote.

In the case of Madhya Pradesh, violence was reported in a few places in Bhind district.

Two people were arrested in a shooting incident near an election booth in Bhind, police said. Several Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioned, and were replaced by the poll panel officials. The Election Commission also announced that Rs1 million (Dh51,994) each would be paid to families of its officials who died during the voting exercise.

The highlight of the day in Madhya Pradesh was the voting by a 101-year-old woman, who exercised her franchise in Agar Malwa district. In the central Indian state, the contest is mainly between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, though the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) are also in the fray.

There are a total of 2,907 candidates.

The BJP has fielded candidates for all the seats, while the Congress is contesting for 229 seats leaving one in Jatara in Tikamgarh district, for Sharad Yadav-led Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).

The BSP has fielded 227 candidates and the Samajwadi Party is contesting for 51 seats. There are 1,102 Independent candidates.

A soldier stands guard as women queue to cast their votes outside a polling station during the Madhya Pradesh assembly election in Jabalpur yesterday.

Rochhinga, 108, of Zemabawk North, prepares to vote in Mizoram yesterday. Officials said more than 10,000 elderly voters exercised their franchise in the northeastern state.

PTI First-time voters show their fingers marked with indelible ink after voting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Elsewhere in the state, voters defied a Maoist threat to cast their ballots.