VB Election Coverage: Here are the updates from Mizoram Assembly Election 2023
Aizawl: The counting for the Mizoram Legislative Assembly elections this year is to be held on Monday, December 4, after the results four states were declared on Sunday.
The voting in Mizoram was held on November 7, with over 80 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise. With 174 candidates, including 18 women and 17 Independents, contesting the elections, Mizoram is expecting a triangular fight among the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Congress and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), although the BJP hopes to prove itself the 'kingmaker' in the state.
As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contesting the elections in Mizoram for the first time, sending its candidates to the fray for four seats, the exit polls have predicting a hung Assembly in the state.
Here are all the updates from Mizoram's vote counting for 2023 Assembly Elections:
4:30 PM: Fortieth seat of Mizoram Assembly claimed by MNF as Lalrintluanga Sailo wins with 6,218 votes. BJP state head Vanlalhmuaka, at a distant 4th, get 2,060 votes
4:10 PM: Mizoram CM Zoramthanga submits resignation to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati after MNF loses Assembly elections
3:25 PM: Dampa, where BJP state chief Vanlalhmuaka is contesting the Mizoram elections, only seat waiting for result
3:00 PM: Breather for Congress as C. Ngunlianchunga wins Lawngtlai West, beating V. Zirsanga of MNF by 432 votes
2:15 PM: Results of only 5 seats of Mizoram Assembly left to be declared, but Congress has not made a breakthrough in the polls yet – ZPM has 26 seats, MNF 7, BJP 2
1:00 PM: Major setback for ruling party in Mizoram as CM Zoramthanga loses battle against ZPM candidate Lalthansangsa by more than 2,100 votes in Aizawl East-1
12:45 PM: With ZPM eyeing an easy victory in Mizoram, the party's CM candidate Lalduhoma said that he would be meeting the Governor within two days and that the swearing-in ceremony would be held this month
12:35 PM: ZPM Chief Ministerial candidate Lalduhoma wins from Serchhip, beats J Malsawmzual Vanchhawng of MNF by 2,982 votes
12:15 PM: First good news for ruling party MNF from Thorang - R. Rohmingliana scrapes through, beats Congress candidate Zodintluanga Ralte by 62-vote margin
12:10 PM: BJP leader Alok Vats admits that regional party in Mizoram will have say as national parties fail to make impact on the people of the state
12:00 PM: BJP registers first win in Mizoram: K. Hrahmo wins from Palak beats MNF candidate K.T. Rokhaw by 1,241 margin
11:35 AM: All 6 victories so far in Mizoram Assembly polls go to ZPM; Mizoram Health Minister R Lalthangliana among early losers; defeated by ZPM's Jeje Lalpekhlua in South Tuipui
11:15 AM: BJP gains lead on 3 seats, edges past Congress, which leads on 1 seat while BJP state head Vanlalhmuaka stands at 4th position in Dampa with 568 votes
11:05 AM: ZPM members and supporters gather at party office in Aizawl, celebrate party's win in 2 seats and prominent lead on 25 other seats in Assembly elections
10:50 AM: Another victory for ZPM: Lalnghinglova Hmar wins Aizawl West-II with 10,398 votes, beating Lalruatkima of MNF by 4,819 margin
10:40 AM: Lalduhoma, leader of ZPM, leads in Serchhip by over 2,500 votes; MNF debutant candidate J Malsawmzual Vanchhawng in second position
10:25 AM: ZPM retains surge in polls on 28 seats, ruling MNF on 7 - CM Zoramthanga trails by 640-margin in Aizawl East-1
10:05 AM: Breaking news – Deputy CM Tawnluia loses battle; W Chhuanawma of ZPM beats him in Tuichang constituency by 909 margin
9:50 AM: CM Zoramthanga-led Mizo National Front (MNF), leading on 10 seats, struggles to surpass rival ZPM, which is surging ahead, with lead on 22 seats
9:35 AM: ZPM leads on 8 seats; MNF in second position, leading on 8; Congress on 2, BJP leads on 1
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FIDE Women's World Cup final: Humpy draws with Divya in first game
Batumi (Georgia), Jul 26 (PTI): Young Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh held her nerves to hold stalwart Koneru Humpy to a draw in game 1 of the FIDE Women's World Cup final, with both players having their share of opportunities to take the lead here on Saturday.
The draw with black means Humpy, the two-time World Rapid champion, holds a slight edge going in the second and final game under the classical chess rules in the two-game mini-match, and should the deadlock continue, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner.
Humpy employed the Queen's gambit accepted as black and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating game right out of the opening as Divya, 19, came up with a piece sacrifice early to deny the black king the right to castle.
Humpy was the first to err and, according to computers, Divya had things under control on the 14th move. However in her bid to recover the extra material, the Nagpur girl, who has secured a place in the Candidates tournament with her sterling performance here, missed a promising continuation.
What followed the exchange of all minor pieces and the ensuing queen and rook endgame gave enough counter play to both players. The game was eventually drawn after Humpy sacrificed her rook to force perpetual checks.
"The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn,
which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white," said Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, an Arjuna awardee and the first Indian to get a chess Grandmaster norm.
"However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead.
"Humpy, too, erred at this stage and instead of moving the King to Queen side, moved it to the King side. Divya, on move 14, could have obtained a crushing attack by threatening a mate by developing her Queen. Instead she chose to exchange a pair of Bishops first, which enabled Humpy to defend her King by returning the piece," said Thipsay.
"Players thus reached a balanced Queen and two Rooks ending. Divya continued to play ambitiously and tried to attack Humpy’s King but the latter defended accurately and the game was drawn in 41 moves by perpetual check," he added.
In the play-off for the third place, Chinese players Zhongyi Tan, the former women's world champion and top seed Lei Tingjie also decided to split points out of a Queen’s gambit declined game.
The opening raised visions of a close contest between the two but having been knocked out of title race in the previous round, none of them wanted to take any huge risk. It was still a middle game when the players shook hands.
With the top two positions sealed for the Indians, the berth to the next Candidates is also assigned, while the player finishing third will also get an entry to the premier event scheduled for 2026.
Results: Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind); Zhongyi Tan (Chn) drew with Tingjie Lei (Chn).
