AIZAWL: The Election Commission (EC) appears to have acceded to the demands for rescheduling the counting date of the Mizoram Assembly polls.
In a communique issued late on Friday night, the poll panel revised the counting date for the Mizoram Assembly polls from December 3 to December 4.
The decision comes in response to a series of representations received by the Commission, advocating for the change in schedule due to the sacred nature of Sundays in the Christian-majority state.
“The Commission has received several representations from various quarters requesting a change in the date of counting from December 3 to some other weekday, citing the special significance of December 3, being a Sunday for the people of Mizoram,” the press quoted from the statement.
The decision follows weeks of persistent demands from political parties, civil bodies, and church-sponsored poll watchdogs seeking a rescheduling of the counting date.
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Earlier last month, the NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) held a meeting with the Election Commission on November 28, pressing for the alteration of the counting date.
The Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) too had expressed its dissatisfaction on November 21, accusing the Election Commission of “disregarding the sentiments of the people” by refusing to change the date for counting votes.
Despite earlier assertions from the Election Commission that the date would not be altered, the increasing pressure from various quarters appears to have influenced the latest decision.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Mizoram, Madhup Vyas, had previously confirmed on November 17 that the Commission had decided not to reschedule the counting date.
The rescheduling of the counting to December 4 aims to accommodate the sentiments of the people of Mizoram, respecting the sacred significance of Sundays in the state.
The move is expected to ease the frustration among political circles in the state.
