Mizoram Chief Minister, Church Groups Ask Poll Body To Change Bypoll Date

The official said the Chief Minister in his letter on Wednesday asked the poll body to advance the election date to April 16

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has written to the Election Commission seeking deferment of the bypoll to Serchhip assembly seat scheduled on April 17, an official of the CMO said on Friday. Zoramthanga also sought postponement of the date of counting by a day or two. The official said the Chief Minister in his letter on Wednesday asked the poll body to advance the election date to April 16 as the day it has fixed is Sabbath for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mizoram. A significant number of people in the state belong to this church and many of them will not cast their votes if the polling is held on April 17. He said Sabbath is as significant to Seventh Day Adventist Church as Sunday is to Christians belonging to other denominations, and advancing the date will allow all voters to rightfully exercise their franchise in the upcoming bypoll. Mizo Conference of Seventh Day Adventist Church and Serchhip Thalai Pawl (Serchhip Youth Club) too wrote to the EC on Thursday seeking deferment of polling and counting dates. In its letter to the chief election commissioner, the Seventh Day Adventist Church said that Sabbath observers refrain from secular activities on that day (Saturday).