Lalthanhawla, who steered the Congress to a landslide win in the Mizoram elections after a ten year gap, was today sworn in as Chief Minister for a record fourth time along with two ministers.

Governor Lt General M M Lakhera administered the oath of office to 68-year-old Lal Thanhawla him, R Lalzirliana, Senior Vice-President of Congress in the state and H Liansailova, a former bureaucrat and party treasurer, at the Raj Bhavan at Aizawl.

Lal Thanhawla was sworn in as the sixth chief minister of the state. None other before him has ever been chief mnister four times in the state.

The Congress stormed back to power after a decade in Mizoram, winning 32 seats in the 40-member state legislature Monday.

The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) faced a humiliating defeat, managing to win only three seats. The party president and two-time Chief Minister Zoramthanga lost the poll in both the constituencies where he contested.

Reacting to the defeat, Zoramthanga, who had resigned, said the anti-incumbency factor had played a key role in his party's rout.

Anti-incumbency factor, in Mizoram, has worked in the favour of the main opposition Congress, which has surged ahead of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), which has been in power for the last two terms.

According to the reports from Mizoram, Congress has won eight seats in the 40-member state assembly, and the former chief minister and state Congress chief Lal Thanhawla has won South Tuipui seat in Lunglei district.

The fate of 205 candidates to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly will be decided on Tuesday as the state goes to poll with security beefed-up along state's sensitive border.

The 722-km international border along Bangladesh and Myanmar has been sealed, as also the borders with Manipur, Assam and Tripura.

Most of the polling booths in border areas are classified as hyper-sensitive or sensitive and additional state police personnel were deployed along the borders, especially with Manipur and Assam. Besides, the BSF and the Assam Rifles are manning international borders.

New Delhi, Dec 2 : Around 70 per cent voter turnout was witnessed in the elections for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly today.

Polling was held amidst tight security in the remote north-eastern state of Mizoram today.

This is the fourth assembly poll since Mizoram attained statehood in February 1987; a year after the Mizo Peace Accord was signed. The three main contenders are the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the Congress and the United Democratic Alliance.

Security forces had sealed the 722-kilometer-long international border along Bangladesh and Myanmar and Mizoram''s borders with Manipur, Assam and Tripura.

Aizawl (Mizoram), Dec. 2 : Elections began in the remote north-eastern state of Mizoram on Tuesday morning amidst tight security.

Reports from various parts of the state said that the polling process has got off to a slow start and is likely to pick up later in the day.