EC deputes team for talks with Mizoram NGOs

The Election Commission on Wednesday deputed a high-level team led by a Deputy Election Commissioner to hold further talks with the Mizoram NGOs demanding the axing of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S.B. Shashank.

The EC said that while it accepted the "broad contours" of the joint resolution passed by the NGOs, it had decided to depute a "higher-level team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain", in-charge of Mizoram, to have "further discussions" on November 9 at Aizwal.

The other members of the team would be Jharkhand CEO Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, EC Secretary S.B. Joshi and Mizoram Additional CEO Lalzarmawii.

"Considering the urgency of the matter, a full Commission meeting was convened today (Wednesday) to further build on this mutual understanding (with NGOs). After due deliberations, the Commission, while accepting broad contours of the resolution passed by the NGOs, decided to depute a higher-level EC team," the EC said.

The Mizoram NGOs Coordination Committee (MNCC) has urged the people to continue their protests until Shashank was removed as the CEO and Principal Secretary (Home) Chuaungo, a 1987-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, was reinstated.

The Election Commission last week removed Chuaungo from his post for dereliction of duty and interference in the election process.

Chuaungo was accused of creating obstacles in allowing the Reang tribals, sheltered in Tripura for over 21 years, to vote in the November 28 polls to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly.

--IANS

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