Despite a slow-down in polling at midday due to the scorching heat, voter turnout was around 50 per cent till 2 pm today for elections to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat and by-poll to the Hrangturzo Assembly seat.

State Chief Electoral Officer Ashwani Kumar said the turnout would be higher than 50.93 per cent recorded in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls but it might not reach 83.41 per cent as in the 2013 state Assembly polls.

Polling was completely peaceful in the 1,126 polling stations across the State, he said.

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla expressed the hope that Congress candidates would win both the Lok Sabha and Hrangturzo Assembly seats.

Talking to reporters after exercising his franchise at the Zarkawt Polling Station-II in Aizawl, Lal Thanhawla said, “In Hrangurzo seat, our candidate would receive more votes than I did during the 2013 Assembly elections.”

Meanwhile, ruling Congress candidate C.L Ruala for the lone Lok Sabha seat alleged that money power was extensively used by one of his opponents, Robert Romawia Royte of the United Democratic Front (UDF), an independent nominee sponsored by the eight opposition party combine.

Royte denied the charge and hoped that he would win the elections, especially if the voter turnout was more than 70 per cent.

Except for technical snags with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system, EVMs were functioning properly, State election department officials said.

Seven VVPAT machines had to be replaced, they said.

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