Mizoram Polls: Parties, Churches, NGOs Again Urge EC To Change Vote Counting Date As Sunday Sacred Day

Political parties, churches, NGOs, and civil society organisations in Mizoram on Friday have once again urged the Election Commission to reschedule the vote counting date of December 3 as Sundays are sacred for Christians and worship services are held in all towns and villages on that day

The elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly would be held on November 7 and the counting of votes would take place on December 3 (Sunday).

Various political parties, Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee, an apex body of major churches, NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of major civil society organisations, various student bodies, Mizoram People's Forum, a church-sponsored poll watchdog, jointly wrote to the Election Commission through the state Chief Electoral Officer Madhup Vyas requesting it to reschedule the counting date.

Since the announcement of the election schedule of Mizoram and four other states -- Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana on October 9, all political parties, NGOs, including Young Mizo Associations, church bodies and civil society organisations have been demanding to reschedule the counting date.

Dozens of letters and memorandum were sent to the EC to reschedule the counting date.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. - IANS