Mizoram Polls: EC yet to decide on political parties’ demand to change counting date

Aizawl, October 12 (IANS) The Election Commission is yet to decide on the demand of all the political parties in Mizoram to change the date of counting of votes fixed for December 3 as the day (Sunday) is a prayer day for Christians, officials said on Thursday.

The 40-member Mizoram Assembly will go to the polls on November 7.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer H. Lianzela told IANS that though all the political parties have sent their representations to the Election Commission requesting to change the counting date, no feedback has been received in this regard yet.

Christians form around 87 per cent of Mizoram's population (according to the 2011 Census).

All the political parties, including the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and People's Conference (PC), have urged the poll panel to change the date of vote counting (December 3) as Sunday is a sacred day for Christians, and the entire day is devoted to church services across the state.

The conglomerate of major churches in the state, Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), has also written to the Election Commission requesting it to change the date of counting.

“Sundays are sacred for Christians and worship services are held in all towns and villages on that day,” the MKHC’s letter read.

The MNF, Congress, BJP, ZPM and PC in their separate letters on Monday had urged the EC to respect the sentiments of the Mizo people as they demanded to reschedule the counting date to any day between Monday and Friday.

On Wednesday, after considering the representations from various political parties and social organisations for changing the polling date in Rajasthan in view of large scale wedding/social engagements on that day (November 23), the Election Commission changed the date of polling to November 25.

The EC had on Monday announced the election schedule for five states -- Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

In Mizoram, the statutory notification for the November 7 elections will be issued by the concerned authorities on Friday and filling of nominations will start from that day itself.

The last date of filing nominations is October 20, scrutiny of candidatures will take place on the next day, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 23.