AIZAWL: The counting of votes for the Mizoram assembly , one of five states where elections were held over the past month, on Tuesday will seal the fate of political parties in the run-up before the Lok Sabha election next year.The counting will begin from 8am on Tuesday amid tight security at 13 counting centres in the eight district headquarters, chief electoral officer Ashish Kundra said. A three-layer security cordon, overseen by eight companies of the Central Armed Police Force, the state armed police and police personnel will be in place.Mizoram has always been a contest between the Mizo National Front (MNF), which fought for the state’s formation, and Congress, with which the MNF signed the deal that led to statehood. Congress hopes to retain the last state it rules in the northeast while BJP hopes to secure its first win in the Christian-majority state.Former chief minister Zoramthanga of MNF has toned down his rhetoric: “Let us not speculate about the results. I don’t want to think of numbers today. I would prefer to wait for the results tomorrow, but I have hope.”In the last assembly election, Congress had won 34 seats, its rival Mizo National Front (MNF) had won five and the Mizoram People’s Conference got one seat. This year, however, things are different. There are more parties in the fray. The campaigns have been more voluble, even by Mizoram standards. And a day before the counting begins, all parties are playing it safe.Chief minister Lal Thanhawla was unavailable and other Congress leaders were as non-committal. “Our thoughts now? Sometimes, we seem to be winning. The next moment, MNF seems to be headed for victory. And then comes the thought of a hung House. It’s difficult to say,” general secretary of Congress’s Mizoram unit LH Chhuanawma said.Taking a leaf out of recent elections in the northeast, the All India Congress Committee has already deputed its senior leaders, led by general secretary Luizinho Faleiro and Sharmistha Mukherjee, to Aizawl. In case of a hung House, it would all depend on who reaches out to potential allies first.The Zoram People’s Movement, that was formed by six smaller state political parties just before the elections, is seen as the state’s regional alternative to MNF. Many believe it is the ZPM’s performance which will indicate the fate of the assembly. With just 40 seats up for grabs, even a minor haul by the ZPM could bring down Congress and MNF.Remruata Varte, a young Mizoram entrepreneur who had organized a beef festival during Union minister Rajnath Singh’s visit here last year, said this election has been just as confusing for the Mizoram voters as well. “The young generation wanted a change. ZPM seemed to offer that. But with BJP’s entry in some areas, it is difficult to say,” he added.

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