Aizawl, Dec 1 : The Election Commission of India on Friday changed the date of vote counting for Mizoram Assembly elections to December 4.
The ECI had earlier scheduled the counting day for Mizoram as Dec 3 along with four other states which have also gone to the hustings.
Political parties, civil society and student bodies of the state had sent repeated representations to the ECI requesting that the date of counting be changed from December 3 – a Sunday – as it is a day of prayer for the Christians, who constitute the majority in Mizoram.
The ECI in a press note said it has received several representations from various quarters requesting for a change in the date of counting from Sunday, December 3 to some other weekday, on the ground that Sunday holds a special significance for the people of Mizoram.
“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),” the note said.
The development comes a day after Mizoram’s NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) – an umbrella organisation of major civil societies – and student bodies, organised before the Raj Bhavan here ‘Kristian Ni Serh Humhalhna PunKhawm’ or a public gathering to preserve the sacred day of the Christians.
The participants at the public gathering passed a two-point resolution – “We strongly condemn the fact that the Election Commission of India has scheduled the date of counting of votes for the Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 on December 3, 2023 which falls on Sunday, a day of veneration for the Mizo Christian people. All the attendees of today’s peaceful demonstration resolve that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should reschedule the counting of votes on a date which is not Sunday.”
Chairman of the NGOCC and president of the central committee of the Young Mizo Association Lalhmachhuana had slammed the Election Commission of India for ignoring the minority Christian community by refusing to change the date of counting from Sunday to another day.
On Tuesday, leaders of the Mizoram NGOCC met the ECI in New Delhi during which they submitted their representation.
Earlier, the NGOCC, political parties and Mizoram Church Leaders’ Committee had repeatedly appealed to the ECI on the issue.
