Mizoram Assembly Election 2023: A six-member team led by an NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC) has left for Delhi to meet the Election Commission officials to press for their demand to reschedule the vote counting date in Mizoram.
Polling in Mizoram for Assembly election took place on November 7 and the results are scheduled for December 3.
However, there has been a demand by the civil society members to the poll body to reschedule the counting date in the state as December 3 is Sunday and a lot of people visit the Church for prayer service.
The ruling and opposition parties and several of organiations in Mizoram have been arguing that as Sundays are sacred for Christians and a large percentage of the people in the state attend church services on that day, the vote counting should be rescheduled to another date.
The NGOCC delegation is hopeful to meet the ECI officials on Friday, though they are yet to get an appointment.
A leader of Young Mizo Association (YMA) said that they can't wait for an appointment, as this is an important issue which is being supported all, cutting across party lines. The YMA, which has over five lakh members across Mizoram and various other states, is a constituent of the NGOCC.
The NGOCC move came after the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas met with the ECI on this issue last week.
The ECI reportedly told the CEO that it will not reschedule the counting date since unlike polling, counting of votes does not involve common people who are free to do what they like on Sunday (December 3).
Media reports quoting officials said that the EC had deferred the date of counting in 2013 from December 8 to December 9 following appeals by political parties, civil society groups and churches in Mizoram.
With inputs from IANS
ALSO READ | Mizoram election: Civil society groups to urge Election Commission afresh to change counting date
