Mokokchung, 2 December (MTNews): As the scheduled date for vote counting in the 43 Tapi Assembly Constituency by-poll approaches on December 3, a controversy has emerged over the Election Commission’s decision not to reschedule the counting day in Nagaland, despite a request from the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC). The request was made considering the sentiments of the Christian majority residents in Nagaland, where Sunday holds religious significance.
However, in a parallel development, the date of counting of votes in Mizoram, another Christian-majority state, was initially set for December 3 but rescheduled. The Election Commission decided to defer the date of counting to December 4, acknowledging that “Sunday holds a special significance for the people of Mizoram, a Christian-Majority State.”
Reacting to this inconsistency, the NPCC raised concerns about the criteria used to determine the rescheduling of vote counting. The NPCC, in its letter to the Election Commission of India, sought clarification on why the religious sentiments of the people in Nagaland were not considered in the same manner as those in Mizoram when both Nagaland and Mizoram are Christian-majority states.
The NPCC further asked whether the government and political parties in Nagaland will take some time out of their “festive mood” and emulate their counterparts from Mizoram in raising the real and pressing issues of its constituents.
The NPCC, through its Communications Department, has expressed patience and forgiveness, adopting a true Christian spirit, while awaiting a response from the Election Commission regarding the disparity in decision-making.