Mizoram polls: Parties reiterate demand for rescheduling vote counting date; EC yet to decide

Aizawl: The Election Commission is yet to take any decision on political parties' demand for rescheduling the vote counting day in Mizoram, where the Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on November 7 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3 (Sunday), officials said on Monday.

Parties, including the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), Congress, BJP, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), and the state's largest NGO Young Mizo Association (YMA) 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.

According to the 2011 Census, around 87 per cent of Mizoram population are Christian.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer H. Lianzela told IANS on Monday 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.

People's Conference former Vice-President Lalrinmawii Fanai in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that considering auspicious days of the Christian community like Christmas, Good Friday and Sundays scheduling of government functions has become a "recurring trend and consistent practice in recent years".

"If the Election Commission does not change the counting date, this would be a detrimental impact on the sentiments of the Christian community who have already been facing challenges in the practice of their faith in India. Many are questioning whether this is a deliberate disregard for Christians not only in Mizoram but in India on the whole," the letter said.

Fanai told IANS that if the Election Commission did not change the counting date, all the political parties and the NGOs would finalise a united strategy.

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 said in a letter.

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

The EC on October 9 announced the election schedule for five states -- Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

With the issuance of the statutory notification on October 13 for the November 7 elections, the filling of nominations have already started though important candidates are yet to file their candidatures.

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.