Aizwal, December 11: The counting of votes for the 40-seat Mizoram legislative assembly has begun. The Congress is facing 10 years of anti-incumbency in the state. As per early trends, the main opposition party the Mizo National Front (MNF) has crossed the halfway mark. The MNF is currently leading 23 seats, while the ruling Congress is ahead on 14 seats. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading on two seats. Incumbent Chief Minister Lal Thanhawala is trailing from Serchhip.

The Election Commission (EC) will declare results by today in the evening. The assembly elections in the state were held on November 28 in a single phase. A total of 1,164 polling booths were set across the state. The main contest was expected between the ruling Congress and the Mizo National Front (MNF). The grand old party is ruling Mizoram since 2008. Various exit polls predicted a fractured mandate in the state. The MNF is expected to gain the lead in the elections. The Congress is expected to win only 8-12 seats, whereas the MNF is predicted to win 16-22 seats. Meanwhile, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) is likely to get 8-12 seats. Mizoram Assembly Elections 2018 Results: Exit Poll Predictions, Counting Schedule, All You Need to Know About Mizoram Vidhan Sabha Polls.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will also try to make inroads in the north-eastern state. The saffron party till now have not won a single seat in Mizoram since last five assembly elections. In the 2013 elections, the Congress won 34 seats, while the MNF managed to get only five seats. The remaining seat us won by Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC). In terms of vote share, the grand old party received 44.6 percent votes, while 28.7 percent votes were polled to the MNF. Mizoram Assembly Elections 2018: CM Lal Thanhawla Writes to PM Modi, Seeks Chief Electoral Officer's Removal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 11, 2018 10:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).