MNF slams PM for ‘false charges’

“Is he our Prime Minister or only the Prime Minister of Congress that the first time he came here, it was only for political campaign?” the press release asked, adding that people of Mizoram were shocked to hear such speeches from a man of high stature.

The press release said Singh’s speeches in the public rally in Aizawl on Tuesday were written by local Congress leaders and were completely baseless and was aimed at maligning the ruling party.

Polling for Bru refugees extended

The casting of votes by Bru refugees of Mizoram would be held on Sunday as it was not completed as scheduled earlier, Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer Lalmalsawma said here on Saturday.

Polling for Bru refugees currently lodged in six relief camps of neighbouring Tripura voted on Friday and Saturday.

Lalmalsawma told PTI that while polling, undertaken through postal ballots were completed in five relief camps today, polling at Naisingpara camp, which housed more than 4,000 voters could not be completed.

“With permission from Election Commission of India, the polling in Naisingpara would resume on Sunday,” he said.

Elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly would be held on December two, but Bru voters, allowed to cast their votes through postal ballots by Election Commission of India, were directed to exercise franchise before the polls.

He said a 43-member election team from the state was sent to the relief camps in Tripura to conduct the polling while representatives of Election Commission also oversaw the process.

Earlier, Bru voters boycotted the polling through postal ballots on Wednesday demanding inclusion of symbols of the candidates in the postal ballot papers as “majority of them are illiterates”.

The polling was, however, taken up after fresh postal ballots were reprinted and brought to the relief camps on Thursday. (PTI)