November 24, 2024

Counting of votes for Mizoram polls deferred to December 4: Election Commission | India News

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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday announced that counting of votes for Mizoram assembly polls is being deferred by a day to December 4.
Counting of votes for the northeast state was initially scheduled to happen on December 3 along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
Counting is now expected to begin at 8am on Monday in all 13 counting centres and 40 counting halls across that state in which postal ballots will be counted first followed by votes polled in EVMs.
Over 4,000 counting personnel will be involved in the counting and there will be 399 EVM tables and 56 postal ballot tables, officials added.
Protests across Mizoram
Members of the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC), however, had staged protests across the state seeking a change in the date of counting of votes as it fell on a Sunday, a sacred day for Christians, who form the majority of the state’s population.
The demonstrations were held in state capital Aizawl and other district headquarters. NGOCC is an umbrella body of major civil society organisations and student bodies, including the influential Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP).
Addressing the rally near Raj Bhawan, NGOCC chairman Lalhmachhuana blamed the Election Commission for remaining silent on the issue despite repeated appeals by political parties, churches and NGOs to reschedule the counting date.
The NGOCC had also recently sent a delegation to Delhi and discussed the issue with poll panel officials, he said.
MNF in strong position
Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held on November 7 where more than 80% of over 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 174 candidates.
Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and Congress had contested in 40 seats each.
The BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had contested in 23 and 4 seats, respectively. There were 27 independent candidates.
In the last assembly polls held in 2018, MNF had bagged 26 seats and ZPM won 8 seats relegating Congress, which bagged 5, to the third place.
The BJP opened its account winning one seat.
This is a developing story



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