In a rare display of political unity, major parties in Mizoram—including the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and opposition parties Mizo National Front (MNF), Indian National Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—jointly called for stricter verification of electoral rolls, action against bogus voter registrations, and an extension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The consensus emerged during an all-party meeting convened by the influential student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) in Aizawl on Friday, where a joint resolution was adopted.
Prominent leaders present at the meeting included ZPM general secretary R. Malsawmtluanga, MNF general secretary Lalpianfela Chawngthu, BJP state general secretary Lalfakzuala Hauzel, Congress state general secretary F. Lalhmangaiha, and People’s Conference general secretary Alfred Zoremsanga Colney. ZPM vice-president Lalmuanpuia Punte, also an MLA and adviser to Chief Minister Lalduhoma, participated in the deliberations.
In their resolution, the parties described the SIR exercise conducted by the Election Commission of India as crucial for safeguarding the voting rights of legitimate citizens. They pledged full cooperation to ensure that the revision process remains transparent, impartial, and credible. The parties also resolved to jointly oppose any attempts by ineligible individuals to secure inclusion in the electoral rolls during the claims and objections phase. They agreed to direct party workers not to facilitate voter enrolment applications from unauthorised persons.
Raising concerns over reports of forged documents being used for voter registration, the resolution urged citizens to promptly report such cases to authorities to enable legal action.
Additionally, the parties appealed to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to exercise heightened vigilance during hearings. They called for strict action against any officials found negligent in carrying out their responsibilities.
Leaders highlighted the challenges faced during the ongoing revision exercise, citing heavy monsoon rains, difficult terrain, poor connectivity in remote areas, and a shortage of manpower, all of which have increased the burden on election personnel.
In view of these constraints, the parties urged the Election Commission to extend the August 4 deadline for the SIR exercise, stating that additional time would ensure greater accuracy and completeness of the electoral rolls.
Following the meeting, representatives from the political parties and MZP submitted the joint resolution to Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ethel Rotluangpuii and held discussions regarding the progress and implementation of the revision process.
According to the draft electoral roll released on July 4 after the enumeration phase, Mizoram currently has 8,28,906 registered voters, including 4,29,881 women electors.
Election authorities reported that 46,163 enumeration forms—accounting for 5.28 per cent of the electorate—could not be collected. Of these, 21,295 pertained to deceased voters, 13,978 to individuals who had permanently migrated, 8,333 to persons who remained untraceable despite repeated visits, 2,248 to voters already enrolled elsewhere, and 309 to individuals who declined enrolment due to religious reasons.
Officials indicated that efforts are ongoing to address these gaps as part of the revision process.
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