EC appeals for changing poll schedule in Mizoram to that of MP

Aizawl, Oct 8: Several organisations and major political parties of

on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission seeking change of dates for polling and counting in the coming state Assembly elections.

Over 3,000 people would not be able to cast their votes if polls on Dec 4

The Presbyterian Church Synod, the central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the Mizoram People's Forum (MPF) and all major political parties submitted the memorandum, where they appealed to the Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath to change the date of polling in the state from December 4 to November 25 when Madhya Pradesh goes to polls.

It also asked the CEC to change the date of counting from December 8 as it falls on Sunday, the sacred day for the Christians, to December 6.

J Lalsailova, general secretary of MPF said the memorandum was submitted to the CEC through the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashwani Kumar.

Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India had asked Kumar on Saturday last to change the polling and counting dates for the Assembly polls as the dates would inconvenience church members and hurt people's sentiments.

A four-member team of church leaders led by Rev Lalzuithanga, executive secretary of Mizoram Synod told the CEO that the date of polling, is also the day on which the Synod's conference would be held.

Rev Lalthangmawia, statistician of the Mizoram Synod said the team intimated Kumar and other state election department officials that the church had been asking its members to cast their votes as the EC also wanted a high voter turnout and mass participation in the electoral process.

"We informed the CEO that if polling is held on December 4 as announced by the EC, more than 3,000 people including priests, church leaders and delegates from all over the state, would not be able to cast their votes," he said.

The church leaders also said, Sunday being a holy day for majority of the Christians, the date of counting of votes (December 8) was inconvenient and could hurt the sentiments of people in the Christian-dominated state.

State election department officials have reportedly assured church leaders that their sentiments would be conveyed, but a final decision would be taken by the EC.

PTI