Even as officials in Mizoram are preparing for the counting of votes polled in the recently-held assembly elections in the Northeastern state, a five-member delegation of the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee appealed to the Election Commission to defer the date of counting of votes for Mizoram as it falls on a Sunday, December 3, which is a sacred day for the Christians.
Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held on November 7 where more than 80 per cent of 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 174 candidates. Results of assembly elections in all five states will be announced on December 3.
However, political parties, civil society organisations, churches and a church-sponsored poll watchdog in Mizoram had opposed it and sent numerous pleas to the Election Commission urging it to reschedule the counting date because it falls on Sunday, a sacred day for Christians in the Christian-majority state.
Several churches in the state held prayers last Sunday to seek divine intervention to change the date of counting of votes. In this regard, a five-member delegation of the NGOCC on Monday met Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials in Delhi.
"We had a cordial meeting with ECI officials on the issue. We hope the commission will change the counting date as it falls on a Sunday, which is a sacred day for the Christians," NGOCC general secretary Malsawmliana told PTI.
Earlier, the NGOCC had threatened to stage a massive protest if the meeting with ECI did not yield positive results. The Election Commission had earlier changed the date of polling in Rajasthan from November 23 to November 25 after receiving representations that “large scale wedding” ceremonies were scheduled on the earlier date.
