Aizawl: In a joint appeal, all political parties and major civil society organisations in Mizoram on Thursday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reschedule the counting date for the state assembly polls from December 3, which is a Sunday, to another appropriate day.
On Monday, the ECI announced the schedule for five assembly polls, including Mizoram, and the date for counting of votes for the five states has been fixed on December 3. Voting for the 40-member Mizoram assembly is slated for November 7.
While welcoming the ECI’s decision to conduct Mizoram assembly polls on November 7, all political parties and NGOs in their letter to the Chief Election Commissioner expressed disappointment over scheduling of counting of votes on December 3, which is Sunday.
The letter said that almost 90 per cent of the state population is Christian and Sunday is a sacred day for the people.
“We the Mizos devoted solely to the worship of God on Sunday. No official programme or business is trusted on Sunday in Mizoram,” the letter signed by presidents of all political parties and NGOs said.
The political parties included the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Congress, BJP, Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), People’s Conference Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The civil society organisations are Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Mizo Students’ Union (MSU), Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP) or Mizoram Senior Citizens’ Association and Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or Mizo Women’s Association.
Earlier, at least five political parties, including MNF and BJP and Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee, a conglomerate of major churches in the state, have separately written to the Central poll panel seeking a shift in the date for counting of votes.
Mizoram People’s Forum (MPF), a church backed poll watchdog has also urged the election commission to change the counting date.
The poll watchdog will also write to the ECI to change the date for counting of votes for Mizoram assembly, the forum chairman Rev. Chawnghmingliana said.