Mizoram: Voting period for Serchhip bypoll on April 17 extended by an hour

AIZAWL: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to extend the voting time for the bypoll to the Serchhip assembly seat, scheduled for April 17, by an hour.

The voting time will be from 7 am to 7 pm, according to a notification issued on Thursday by ECI secretary Madhusudan Gupta.

The ECI previously refused to postpone the voting and counting dates for the Serchhip assembly seat in Mizoramin view of Assam elections and Easter celebrations.

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A day after the ECI denied its request to further postpone the polling date, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) asked the commission to prolong the polling period by an hour on Wednesday.

Mizoram’s main opposition party ZPM made the appeal to extend the polling duration so that the members of a particular church can exercise their franchise.

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According to the notification, the Election Commission has now taken into consideration the appeal of extension of polling time to allow all voters to exercise their franchise as demanded by the political parties and as suggested by the chief electoral officer of Mizoram.

On March 23, the commission issued a notice stating that the voting time on April 17, 2021 will be from 7 am to 6 pm.

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“As a follow-up to its notice given in exercise of its powers under Sections 150, 30, and 56 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), the Election Commission, giving respect to the provisions of Section 56 of the said Act, hereby notifies the polling time on April 17, 2021, from 7 pm to 7 pm, in connection with bye-election to 26-Serchhip (ST) Assembly Constituency,” the notification stated.

As per the previous schedule, the counting of votes will take place on May 2.

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