Once again, various political parties, churches, NGOs, and civil society organizations in Mizoram have come together to appeal to the Election Commission to reconsider the date for counting votes, currently scheduled for December 3. This request stems from the significance of Sundays as sacred days for Christians, during which worship services are held in towns and villages across the state.
The elections for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly are slated for November 7, with the vote counting initially set for December 3, a Sunday. In light of this, multiple stakeholders, including political parties, the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (an apex body of major churches), the NGO Coordination Committee (a conglomerate of major civil society organizations), various student bodies, and the Mizoram People's Forum (a church-sponsored poll watchdog), have jointly penned a letter to the Election Commission. In the letter, they have requested the rescheduling of the vote counting date.
This call for rescheduling has been ongoing since the election schedule announcement for Mizoram and four other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana, on October 9. Various political parties, NGOs, such as the Young Mizo Associations, church bodies, and civil society organizations have been consistent in their demand for a change in the counting date. They've expressed that Sunday holds immense religious significance for Christians, with the entire day dedicated to church services. Notably, according to the 2011 Census, approximately 87% of Mizoram's population follows the Christian faith.
(With Agency Inputs)
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