AIZAWL, 2 Dec: The NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC), which spearheaded a peaceful movement for the change of date of counting of votes for the Mizoram assembly elections, on Saturday expressed happiness after the ECI deferred the date by a day.
Several political parties, churches, civil society groups and student bodies of Mizoram had demanded that the date of counting of votes be changed from 3 December, on account of it being a Sunday, a holy day in the Christian-majority state.
Heeding their demands, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday changed the date to 4 December.
Addressing a press conference in Aizawl on Saturday, NGOCC chairman Lalhmachhuana thanked
the ECI for deferring the date of counting and lauded the people of the state for their support.
He attributed the deferment to the collective efforts of NGOs, churches, political parties and the general public.
NGOCC secretary Malsawmliana said that the agitators stuck to peaceful forms of protest and never had any plans to invoke violence or disturb the counting had it taken place on 3 December.
Counting of votes for Mizoram was earlier scheduled on 3 December, along with four other states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
Besides requests to the ECI by political parties, NGOs and student bodies, prayers were also offered in various churches for “divine intervention” for the change of dates.
On 28 November, a five-member delegation of the NGOCC met Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials and urged them again to defer the counting date.
Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held on 7 November, with more than 80 per cent of over 8.57 lakh voters having cast their votes to decide the fates of 174 candidates. (PTI)
