EC issues notice to Mizoram political party

The Election Commission has again issued a show cause notice to a political party in Mizoram asking it to explain its poll plank to introduce a right to secede bill in Parliament, PRISM president Vanlalruata said.

Vanlalruata said that the poll panel had issued a notice to the People's Representation for Identity and Status (PRISM) in March, to which the party had given a clarification.

The second notice was served to the PRISM on Tuesday. The PRISM had stated that it would move a right to secede bill in Parliament, if the party was elected to the Lok Sabha. The party candidate, however, lost the recent Lok Sabha poll from the lone parliamentary seat in Mizoram.

"If the Centre continues with its intention to legislate the Citizenship Amendment Bill and if the PRISM candidate for the Parliamentary polls is elected, the party would introduce the Right to Secession Bill in the Lok Sabha," party nominee TBC Lalvenchhunga had said during electioneering. A party press statement had also echoed similar views.

The party maintained that passage of the CAB would be harmful and pose a threat to the Mizos as it would mean granting citizenship to thousands of Chakmas who had illegally entered Mizoram from erstwhile East Pakistan and settled in the state.

Vanlalruata said, "We had replied to the earlier showcause notice and explained our stand, but it has reissued the same notice and we will again send a reply."

Asked about the possible reason for the EC reissuing the show cause notice, that too after the party lost the Lok Sabha polls, Vanlalruata said the poll panel might have been dissatisfied with the replies given by PRISM.

"The Election Commission might be seeking a more comprehensive reply, so we will give a more comprehensive response," he said.

The EC letter did not clarify the reason for issuing the second showcause notice. State chief electoral officer Ashish Kundra told PTI that he had not received the letter. It might have been directly sent to the PRISM without routing it through the state election office, Kundra said.