AIZAWL, Oct 21: Altogether 174 candidates, including 16
women, have filed nominations for the 40-member Mizoram
assembly polls on November 7, officials said on Saturday.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will be undertaken during the
day and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is
October 23.
All nominees of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), the
opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and the
Congress have filed their nomination papers, the officials
said.
The MNF has fielded candidates in all 40 seats, including 25
incumbent legislators, while six ZPM MLAs among its 40
nominees are seeking re-election.
Twenty-three BJP candidates and four nominees of Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) have filed their papers, the officials said,
adding that 27 candidates have submitted nomination
documents as independents.
Polling for the Mizoram assembly will be held in a single
phase on November 7 and counting of votes will take place
on December 3.
Earlier, political parties, churches, civil society organisations
and student bodies in Christian-dominated Mizoram had
urged the Election Commission to reschedule the counting
date as it falls on Sunday, which is a sacred day for Christians.
Christians constitute 87 per cent of the state’s population.
The Election Commission is yet to respond to the pleas.
A total of 8,56,868 electorates, including 4,38,925 women
voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the assembly
polls.
The MNF had bagged 26 seats in the 2018 assembly polls,
while ZPM secured eight, Congress five and the BJP one.
Later, the MNF won two assembly bypolls, raising its tally to
28. (PTI)
