AIZAWL, Nov 27: The Mizoram election department is giving
training to officials on counting of votes for the state assembly
election, a senior officer said.
Mizoram chief electoral officer (CEO) Madhup Vyas said that a
full dress rehearsal for counting will be held through the Encore
portal on Thursday.
Additional CEO H Lianzela said more than 4,000 counting
personnel will be involved in the counting to be held on
December 3.
Counting will be held in 13 counting centres across the state
and there will be 40 counting halls in 13 counting centres, he
said.
“There are 399 EVM tables and 56 postal ballot tables and over
4,000 personnel for counting of votes,” he said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Shukla said that “full proof
security arrangements have been made for counting of votes.”
He had said Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), IRBn and
Mizoram armed police have been deployed to maintain law and
order.
All the EVMs are securely placed in the strong rooms in all the
district headquarters, according to officials.
Meanwhile, a five-member delegation of Mizoram NGO
Coordination Committee (NGOCC) will meet officials of the
Election Commission in Delhi on Tuesday to appeal the to poll
panel to re-schedule the counting date.
Political parties, civil societies, churches and other
organisations have repeatedly appealed to the Election
Commission to change the counting date because it fell on
Sunday, which is a sacred day for Christians in the Christian
majority state.
Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held
peacefully on November 7 and more than 80 per cent voter
turnout had been recorded.
A total of 174 candidates, including 18 female candidates, were
in the fray.
Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition party Zoram
People’s Movement (ZPM) and Congress had contested 40
seats each, while BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tried their
luck in 23 and 4 seats respectively.
In the last assembly polls held in November 2018, MNF bagged
26 seats, ZPM won 8 seats, Congress 5 and BJP 1. (PTI)
