EC issues formal notification for Nov 7 Mizoram Assembly polls

Aizawl: The Election Commission on Friday issued the statutory notification for the November 7 elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly.

Election officials said that with the issuance of the notification, filing of nominations by the candidates had begun from Friday. The last date of filing nominations is October 20 and scrutiny of papers would take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 23.

All the political parties in Mizoram are demanding that the poll panel change the date of counting of votes. The counting date has been fixed for December 3, which is a Sunday and a day of prayers for Christians. The Election Commission, however, is yet to decide on the issue.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer Madhup Vyas, accompanied by senior officials, held an online meeting with all 11 District Election Officers (Deputy Commissioners) on poll preparedness.

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 as 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 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 rescheduling of the counting date to any day between Monday and Friday.

The MNF, led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, has already announced candidates on all 40 seats, with the 79-year-old political Zoramthanga seeking re-election from his existing constituency Aizawl East-I for the record seventh time.

The electoral dark horse in Mizoram, ZPM has also announced names of 40 candidates, while the Congress and the BJP also said they had decided to field candidates in all the seats on their own. They said they would soon announce the names of their nominees.