Election Commission to replace Mizoram CEO

The Election Commission on Saturday began the process of finding an alternative to Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer S B Shashank, who is facing demands for ouster by a conglomerate of civil society and student organisations.

Earlier this week, large number of people picketed the CEO's (Chief Election Commission) office for two days against the alleged intention of Shashank to facilitate exercise of franchise by Bru voters in the relief camps in Tripura.

An EC spokesperson said that in a meeting held in Delhi on Saturday, the poll panel has "only decided to call for a panel of names for the post of State CEO from chief secretary of Mizoram".

"Next steps" will "only be taken after receiving the report of the team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain who visited the state, the spokesperson said.

Shashank is also claimed to have sought deployment of additional paramilitary in the state and complained to the EC that the former principal secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo was interfering with the poll process. Chuaungo, who hails from Mizoram and a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

The civil society and student organisations had been demanding Shashank's exit from the state since then. They have also demanded that Bru voters lodged in six Tripura relief camps be allowed to exercise their franchise at their respective polling stations in Mizoram and not in Tripura.