Election department training officials for counting of votes in Mizoram

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.