Security of Mizoram CEO beefed up following exit demand

Security of the chief electoral officer of poll-bound Mizoram has been beefed up following demand for his exit from the state by Monday, police said Saturday.

Coordination Committee, an umbrella body of major civil society and student organisations, had demanded CEO Shashank's removal shortly after the Election Commission removed a principal secretary-level state officer on charges of interfering with the poll process.

The election to the 40-member Assembly will be held on November 28. The results will be out on December 11.

A senior police official told PTI that additional security personnel have been deployed at the office and official residence of Shashank since Thursday night.

Security was also beefed up in various places of Aizawl following the Committee's demands, the official said.

"The NGO Coordination Committee requested Shashank not to continue his job by leaving his post as CEO and also leave the state of Mizoram before dusk on November 5," a statement issued by the umbrella organisation said.

Accusing the chief electoral officer of working against the spirit of "free, fair and peaceful" polls, the NGO has urged the authorities to replace him with an official who had the confidence of the people of the state.

In an order on Friday, the Election Commission had directed removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, saying his continuance "in the State Government of Mizoram will have an adverse impact on the conduct of smooth, free and fair election process in Mizoram".

The order came after reports appeared in a section of media that Shashank had complained to the EC that Chuaungo was interfering with the election process.

The EC said the order followed "a series of incidents" that took place in Mizoram "causing concern to the Commission regarding the successful completion of the summary revision of Electoral Rolls and also the successful conduct of free and fair election in Mizoram".

It mentioned six incidents mainly related to the arrangements to enable the Bru refugees staying in camps in Tripura take part in the voting process. Thousands of Bru community people had fled Mizoram in the late 1990s following ethnic clashes.