Mizoram: SHC polls on November 5, nomination on October 10

AIZAWL: Polling for the 12-member Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) polls will be held on November 5, the Mizoram State Election Commissioner announced. 

Mizoram state election commissioner H Lalthlangliana said that the last date for filing nomination is October 10, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is fixed on October 14 as per a notification issued by the state election commission.

Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on October 11, he said.

Voting will be held on November 5 between 7 am and 4 pm and counting of votes will be undertaken as soon as voting is over and all ballot boxes reach constituency headquarters, he said.

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According to the final roll published by the state election commission on September 30, there are 23,789 voters, including 11,914 female voters within Sinlung Hills Council.

There are 38 polling stations and 16 of them close to Assam and Manipur borders are declared critical polling stations, according to Lalthlangliana. 

He said that adequate police forces will be deployed to ensure free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Hmar People's Convention (HPC) have forged a pre-poll electoral alliance and agreed on a seat-sharing arrangement as per which ZPM will contest in 8 out of 12 seats and HPC in 4 seats, ZPM president Lalliansawta said.  

The SHC has 12 constituencies, comprising 31 villages in the Hmar-dominated northeastern part of Mizoram, covering three assembly constituencies in the Aizawl, Kolasib and Saitual districts.

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In the last polls held on 5 November 2019, the Mizo National Front (MNF)-HPC combine bagged 10 seats, and the other two were won by independent candidates.

However, in the last five years, there has been a frequent change in the power dynamics in the council and the ZPM-HPC alliance is currently in power.

The SHC was established on July 9, 2018, as a result of the peace accord signed between the Mizoram government and the erstwhile underground Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) or HPC(D) on April 2 that year.

The council has 12 elected members and two nominated seats. It is headed by a Chief Executive Member (CEM).