Aizawl, Jan 14 (PTI) Mizoram State Election Commission (SEC) is likely to announce the schedule for polls to 544 village councils (VCs) in nine districts and 111 local councils (LCs) in two urban local bodies on Thursday, an official said on Tuesday.

State Election Commissioner H Lalthlangliana said that the poll panel is planning to announce the election schedule this week as the existing terms of the village and local councils will expire on February 19.

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"Preparations for the VC and LC polls are in full swing and we may hold a press conference to announce the election date on Thursday," he said

According to the final voter list published by the SEC on January 8, there are 4,37,708 electors, including 2,22,098 women, in 544 village councils in nine districts, barring three autonomous council areas in south Mizoram's Lawngtlai and Siaha districts.

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Elections to VCs in Lai, Mara and Chakma councils in Lawngtlai and Siaha districts are held separately.

The final rolls also showed that there are 2,44,726 voters, including 1,31,423 women, in 87 LCs within the Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) area and 41,206 voters in Lunglei Municipal Council, which comprises 24 LCs.

In November last year, the state government issued notifications curtailing the term of village councils by six months, which means their tenure will expire on February 19.

The current terms of local councils were also reduced by six months in December, which means their tenure will end on February 19.

The decision of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) government to curtail the terms of the VCs and LCs drew flak from the opposition parties.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma had said that the terms of the VCs and LCs were curtailed to "avoid administrative-gap" as problems used to crop up if the terms of the VCs and LCs go beyond the new financial year and elections are held after the new fiscal".

He had said that his government wanted the VCs and LCs to fully function by the start of the next financial year.

State Local Administration (LAD) Minister C. Lalsawivunga had also claimed that the curtailment was done in a bid to ensure effective management and usage of funds.

Meanwhile, the All Mizoram Village Councils Association (AMVCA) withdrew its petition challenging the government's decision for the second time on Monday.

The association's president K. Lalngaizuala told PTI that it filed a writ petition at the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court on December 6 last year, challenging the government's order issued on November 20, which reduced the VC term.

However, they had to withdraw the petition and file a fresh one as the government issued a fresh order on November 21, superseding the previous one, he said.

The second petition was also withdrawn on Monday after the leaders suspected that the court may not entertain their petition as AMVCA is not registered under the state government's firm and society, he said.

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