Aizawl: The Mizoram Legislative Assembly elections of 2023, which concluded on November 7, have taken an unexpected turn with the announcement of a repoll at the 13-Muallungthu polling station in the 20-Aizawl South -I (ST) Assembly constituency. The decision comes after post-poll scrutiny revealed discrepancies in the vote counting process.
A day after the polls, on November 8, the General Observer, Returning Officer (RO), and Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) initiated the crucial post-poll scrutiny in various districts, joined by political party representatives and candidates. During this process, it was discovered that the 13-Muallungthu polling station had included votes cast in the mock poll and failed to clear them before the votes were cast.
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Upon identifying the error, the Returning Officer consulted with the Observer, resulting in an immediate appeal for a repoll as per sub-section (2) of Section 58 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The Election Commission of India cancelled votes at 13-Muallungthu Polling Station per Chapter 13 guidelines and set a repoll on November 10, 2023, from 7 AM to 4 PM.
H. Lianzela, Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Mizoram, commented on the situation, reaffirming the commitment to conducting fair and transparent elections.
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