New Delhi: The Election Commission said that they have received several appeals from various groups in the state, seeking a change in the counting date because it aligns with Sunday, a sacred day in Mizoram.
The results date has been postponed by one day to December 4. The decision to change the counting date arises amidst protests in the state organized by the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC).
The group had earlier expressed discontent with December 3 as the counting date, highlighting its coincidence with Sunday, a meaningful day for Christians.
The Election Commission explicitly confirmed that there are no changes in the schedule or events for the Assembly Elections in Mizoram or any other state.
Political parties in the fray in the Mizoram elections had asked for counting there to be shifted from Sunday, December 3rd to Monday, December 4th. Representations were made over a month ago, but the ECI remained silent. A little while earlier, it has shifted the date. Why the…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 1, 2023
Five states – Mizoram, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana participated in elections, considered a semi-final to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mizoram, with 40 Assembly seats, underwent voting on November 7 in a single phase, requiring a majority of 21 seats. Counting in the other states will proceed as planned on December 3.
Mizoram is on the brink of a tightly contested and consequential electoral showdown between the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), founded by former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Lalduhoma, and the Mizo National Front (MNF), led by Zoramthanga, a former leader of an insurgent group.
The ZPM was formed by merging six parties to take on Zoramthanga, the Chief Minister who was a guerilla fighting the Indian military before joining politics.
The Congress is projected to win seven seats and could be a king-maker in the close contest of Mizoram. All the exit polls for Mizoram gave the BJP a maximum of two seats.