EC asks Mizoram to send two more names for post of state CEO

The Election Commission Monday sought two more names from the Mizoram government for the post of chief electoral officer, highly-placed sources in the poll panel said.

The Mizoram government has already proposed the names of three IAS officers, as desired by the commission.

The poll panel had asked the state government to suggest names after it decided to find an alternative to CEO S B Shashank, who had courted controversy in the poll-bound state.

The poll panel decided to seek two more names at a meeting held here, the sources said.

The names already suggested by the Mizoram government are -- Lalhmingthanga, H Lalengmawia and K Lalthawmmawia.

An official in Aizawl had on Sunday said that Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who led the second EC team to Mizoram Friday, had told officials there that it would take two-three days to select and appoint a new CEO.

Jain had also assured the NGO Coordination Committee leaders -- who were spearheading the movement against Shashank -- that the CEO would be replaced and the Bru voters in Tripura relief camps would exercise their franchise from Mizoram, which were the primary demands of the organisation.

The EC had initiated the process of finding an alternative to the Mizoram CEO Saturday.

An EC spokesperson had said in New Delhi that the poll panel had "only decided to call for a panel of names for the post of the state CEO from the chief secretary of Mizoram".

Shashank had reportedly sought deployment of additional central armed police forces (CAPFs) in the north-eastern state and complained to the EC that the state's former principal secretary, Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, was interfering in the poll process.

Chuaungo, a native of Mizoram and a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, was relieved of his duties earlier this month.

Thousands of people took to the streets and picketed in front of Shashank's office for two days since Tuesday.

The protesters, under the aegis of the NGO Coordination Committee, had also given an ultimatum for Shashank to leave urgently, prompting the EC to send the first team to the state Tuesday.

Shashank left Mizoram Wednesday after being summoned by the chief election commissioner in Delhi, which resulted in the withdrawal of the agitation.