AIZAWL: Elections to the 510 village councils in Mizoram, excluding the three autonomous district councils of Chakma, Lai and Mara, will be held on February 23, state election commissioner C Ropianga said on Friday.
Briefing reporters, the SEC said preparations for the village council polls in the six districts of Mizoram , Aizawl, Champhai, Kolasib, Lunglei and Serchhip have been finalised.
” Model code of conduct for elections to the village councils comes into effect from today,” Ropianga said adding that election notification would be issued on January 24 while last date for filing of nominations was fixed on February 2.
Counting of votes would commence as soon as polling is over, he said.
According to the latest revision of electoral roll for the village council elections, there are 4,06,063 voters, a 9.78 per cent increase from the last elections in 2009, for the 510 village councils in the six districts. There are 2,03,786 female voters who outnumbered their male counterparts by 1493 voters. ”There are a total of 2118 seats in the 510 village councils in the six districts of Mizoram,” the official said.
Elections to the 82 local councils under Aizawl Municipal Council area will be held along with the village council polls.
There are 524 seats in the local councils which came into existence with the introduction of Aizawl Municipal Council in 2010.
For the first time in Mizoram village council elections, indelible ink would be used while single ballot box and common, as it has always been, would be used again.
Village council elections in Mizoram have always went in favour of the party which rules in the state assembly. The ruling Congress won about 80 per cent of the total seats in the last village polls in 2009. (UNI)