High Voter Participation Marks Dampa Bypoll in Mizoram
The by-election for the Dampa assembly constituency in Mizoram's Mamit district concluded on Tuesday with an impressive 83.07% voter turnout, demonstrating strong democratic participation in this border region. A total of 20,790 electorates exercised their franchise, including 10,185 women voters, who came out in significant numbers to elect their new public representative.
Five-Way Contest and Peaceful Polling
Voters had a choice among five candidates competing for the seat: BJP's Lalhmingthanga Sailo, Congress's John Rotluangliana, MNF's R Lalthangliana, ZPM's Vanlalsailova, and PC's K Zahmingthanga. Despite minor technical snags in some Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), officials confirmed that polling was largely peaceful throughout the day.
The electoral process began enthusiastically with people queuing up outside polling booths as early as 7 am. While polling was scheduled to conclude at 4 pm, several voters in areas like Silsury-1 and Marpara North were permitted to cast their votes beyond the deadline since they had entered the polling vicinity by 4 pm. In Marpara North, polling continued even after 6 pm, according to returning officer Malsawmzuala.
Security and Unique Polling Challenges
Out of the 41 polling stations in the assembly constituency, three booths—Silsury-1, Silsury-2, and Silsury-3—were identified as critical due to their location near the international border and considerable distance (50 km) from the Marpara police station. To ensure free and fair elections, three sections of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed specifically across these three polling stations.
The bypoll showcased contrasting electoral landscapes within the constituency. Silsury-1 recorded the highest number of electors at 1,103, while the Zopui polling station had only 30 voters, making it the booth with the smallest electorate. Zopui presented unique challenges—accessible only by foot and without electricity, which prevented webcasting or video coverage of the voting process.
All eyes are now set on Friday when the counting of votes will take place at the district deputy commissioner's office. The outcome will determine who among the five contenders will represent the Dampa constituency, with the high voter turnout indicating significant public interest in this democratic exercise.
