• Source:JND
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the counting of votes for the Mizoram Assembly polls is being deferred by a day to December 4 (Monday). The counting of votes was earlier scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 3. 

“The Commission has received several representations from various quarters requesting for change in date of counting from 3rd December, 2023 (Sunday) to some other week day, on the ground that 3rd December, 2023 being Sunday a special significance for the people of Mizoram,” the poll body said in its notification. 

“The Commission, having considered these representations, has decided to revise the date of counting for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Mizoram from 3rd December, 2023 (Sunday) to 4th December, 2023 (Monday),” it added. 

Voting in Mizoram was held in a single-phased manner on November 7 and more than 80 per cent voter turnout was recorded. The change in the counting date comes after all major political parties of the Christian-majority state, civil societies organisations and others requested the Election Commission to change the day as December 3 falls on Sunday and clashes with church programmes.

Political parties including the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the BJP, church and student bodies reportedly wrote to the poll panel, requesting it to change the counting date to December 4 or December 5 to ensure that it does not fall on Sunday.

Earlier on Thursday, the exit poll results for the assembly elections in five states were released. In Mizoram, the exit polls showed no clear winner and indicated a hung assembly with the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) giving a close fight to the Mizo National Front (MNF). 

The exit polls indicated that the BJP may make slight gains and the Congress may lose its grip on power. The numbers indicated a close fight or no clear winner, which increased the chances of alliance formation. 

In the 2018 Mizoram Assembly elections, MNF won the elections by winning 26 seats, while the Congress managed to get five seats and remained the second-largest party in the state in terms of vote share.