Mizoram: S B Sashank Likely to Replace as Chief Electoral Officer

Mizoram: S B Sashank Likely to Replace as Chief Electoral Officer

Guwahati: The Election Commission in the poll bound state of Mizoram has agreed to the main demands of the civil society groups in the state who were protesting against the recent appointment of the state's chief electoral officer S B Sashank.

According to sources, the outcome of the talks between an Election Commission team and the groups was positive.

The two main demands of the by the groups led by the Mizoram NGO Coordination Committee or MNCC are to reappoint ousted principal secretary of home Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, and allowing Bru tribe refugees who are living in neighbouring Tripura to vote only in Mizoram and not from their camps in the other state

Mr. Sashank is likely to be replaced, and the Election Commission has also agreed to the demand for letting Bru refugees come to Mizoram if they want to vote in the assembly election on November 28, people familiar with the matter said.

It may be mentioned that after a bout of ethnic violence in the 90s, some 30,000 people of the Bru tribe were displaced from Mizoram. Many of them are now living in six camps in the Kanchanpur and Panisagar areas of north Tripura. Their repatriation that started in 2010 remains a work in progress.

A source on grounds of anonymity said, an official notification explaining the outcome of the discussion between the Election Commission and the Civil Society Groups in the state is expected by Sunday.

Massive protests had broken out across the otherwise peaceful state of Mizoram earlier this week after Mr. Sashank pushed for the removal of the state's home secretary, accusing him of interfering in the electoral rolls revision process following which Mr. Sashank was summoned to Delhi by the Election Commission.

Mr. Sashank accused Mr. Chuaungo, a 1987-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, of objecting to allowing voting by Bru refugees from their camps in Tripura. Subsequently, the poll panel had transferred out Mr. Chuaungo.

The Federation of Mizoram Government Employees and Workers had threatened not to cooperate with the election work if Mr. Sashank was not removed, their members would

The protesters alleged that the Election Commission has tried to enroll the members from the Bru tribe communities in the electoral roll without following the proper rules.

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