Mizoram Political Parties Demand Voter Roll Deadline Extension

Aizawl: Mizoram's political heavyweights joined forces Friday to demand tighter control over electoral rolls. Leaders from the ruling ZPM, MNF, Congress, BJP, and the People's Conference met in Aizawl. They want the Election Commission to stop fraudulent registrations immediately. The Mizo Zirlai Pawl student body organized the summit.

The parties issued a joint resolution asking for an extension of the August 4 deadline for the Special Intensive Revision. They cited heavy monsoon rains and poor road conditions as major hurdles. Geography makes this work tough. The state's rugged terrain and lack of staff create immense pressure on election workers.

Lalmuanpuia Punte, ZPM vice-president and adviser to the Chief Minister, joined the group in submitting their resolution to Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ethel Rotluangpuii. The coalition warned against the use of forged documents. They ordered party workers to stop helping unauthorized applicants get on the books. Party leaders urged citizens to report any suspicious activity. They expect officials to act. The group stated the election process must be conducted in a "fair, transparent and credible manner."

The state's draft roll published July 4 shows 8,28,906 total electors. Women account for 4,29,881 of that count. Officials have flagged 46,163 forms as uncollected. This represents 5.28 percent of the total data. Records show 21,295 voters are dead. Another 13,978 moved away. Officials cannot track 8,333 people. A total of 2,248 voters appear elsewhere, while 309 individuals refused enrollment due to religious beliefs.