Mizoram goes to the polls Friday

Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu of the Congress would contest against UDF leader H. Lalduhawma, who unsuccessfully contested the last election from the same seat.

Tight security arrangements have been made across the state and along the international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh to conduct the polls in a free and fair manner.

Eight companies of central paramilitary forces and six battalions of state security forces have been deployed.

Mizoram shares a 404-km unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh. The mountainous terrain and dense forests make the border porous and vulnerable to smugglers, illegal migrants and intruders.

Polling in Mizoram was scheduled to be held April 9 but the Election Commission deferred it to April 11 due to a three-day shutdown and poll boycott call by NGOs and students' groups in the state.