EC defers counting of votes in Mizoram to Monday

The counting of votes in Mizoram will take place on December 4, a day after it was originally scheduled, the Election Commission said on Friday.

It said the decision was taken following representations from various quarters requesting for a change in the date of counting from December 3 on the ground that Sunday holds a special significance for the people of Mizoram, a Christian-majority state.

'The Commission, having considered these representations, has decided to revise the date of counting for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Mizoram from 3rd December, 2023 (Sunday) to 4th December, 2023 (Monday),' it stated.

The counting was earlier scheduled for December 3, along with that in four other states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana - where assembly polls were held last month.

Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held on November 7. More than 80 per cent of the over 8.57 lakh voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 174 candidates.

Members of the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee held protests across the state on Friday seeking a change in the date of counting of votes.

The committee is an umbrella body of major civil society organisations and student bodies, including the influential Central Young Mizo Association and Mizo Zirlai Pawl.

Addressing a protest rally near the Raj Bhawan in Aizawl earlier in the day, NGOCC chairman Lalhmachhuana criticised the Election Commission for remaining silent on the issue so far despite repeated appeals by political parties, churches and NGOs to reschedule the counting date as it falls on a Sunday, a sacred day for Christians, who form the majority of the state's population.

The NGOCC had recently sent a delegation to Delhi and discussed the issue with poll panel officials, he said.

Earlier, the Election Commission changed the date of polling for the Rajasthan assembly elections from November 23 to November 25 following demands for a change given 'large-scale' weddings in the state that day.