Aizawl, Nov 20: Amidst tight security, an estimated 20 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 1000 hrs today in the election to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly. The balloting, which began at 0700 hrs, was peaceful, officials said.

Former Chief Minister and state Congress chief Lal Thanwala and Governor A R Kohli were among the early ones to cast ballots.

Long queues were seen in front of polling stations with people patiently waiting for their turn to cast votes through electronic voting machines used in the state for the first time. Women formed majority of early morning voters, some of them had children tied to their backs.

Out of 798 polling stations spread over eight districts, 57 were declared sensitive where additional armed police were deployed, the officials said.

The three candidates for Suangpuilawn seat on Mizoram-Manipur border, who were abducted by insurgents and later rescued by police, demanded the election in the constituency be countermanded. Bureau Report