Amid major crisis sparked off by the demand for the ouster of Mizoram chief electoral officer (CEO) SB Shashank after the Election commission removed a Principal Secretary (Home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the immediate removal of the CEO.
On the other hand, Shashank made it clear that he had "no intention to hurt the sentiments" of the State's civil societies and apologised for rankling them in any way. "The civil society has to understand my position as an officer and what I am supposed to do so," he said.
"Shashank's removal is the only solution for smooth conduct of the November 28 Assembly elections", the Chief Minister said in the letter. The people of Mizoram have lost faith in Shashank, who, according to a section of media, had complained to the Election Commission (EC) that principal secretary (home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo was interfering in the poll process, the Chief Minister wrote.
Shashank alleged that the principal secretary and Mizoram Chief Secretary Arvind Ray did not issue any clarification on the September 13 order, despite EC's instructions.
Chuaungo, a 1987-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, has been relieved of his responsibilities in the state. The EC has instructed him to report before the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi.
The CEO said he was just fulfilling his responsibilities in accordance with the instructions of the EC. "As the state chief electoral officer, it is my responsibility that I fulfil the mandate of the EC. I can only hope that the civil societies will understand my position. I am sorry if I have hurt anybody," he said.
On his fallout with Chuaungo, the CEO said that he had issued a statement to the District Election Officers (DEO) and Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) on September 11 to notify that "identification slips could be used as valid documents by eligible Bru migrants in Tripura".
Chuaungo, however, issued another order on September 13, asking the Bru refugees to not use the identification slips, except for the purpose of repatriation, he said. Shashank alleged that the principal secretary and Mizoram Chief Secretary Arvind Ray did not issue any clarification on the September 13 order, despite EC's instructions.
Earlier, the civil society organisations had opposed the Election Commission's decision to conduct electoral revision of Bru voters in Tripura's relief camps. They also urged the EC to defranchise all Bru voters who chose to stay back in Tripura and did not return to Mizoram. The EC in its Friday's order had said, "... The Election Commission is satisfied that the continuance of Mr. Lalnunmawia Chuaungo as Principal Secretary (Home), in State Government of Mizoram will have adverse impact on conduct of smooth, free and fair election process in Mizoram".
The order mentioned six incidents, mainly related to the arrangements to enable 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 clash.