NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday asked the Mizoram government to furnish two more names for the post of Chief Election Officer in the state. The government had sent three names to the EC after the removal of the previous CEO SB Shashank.
The three names that were suggested by the government earlier were -- Lalhmingthanga, H Lalengmawia and K Lalthawmmawia.
The EC had initiated the process of finding an alternative to the Mizoram CEO on Saturday. An EC spokesperson had said 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 courted controversy in the poll-bound state after he reportedly sought deployment of additional Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the north-eastern state. He had also allegedly 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.
Thereafter, thousands of people had taken 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 set an ultimatum for Shashank to leave urgently, prompting the EC to send the first team to the state on Tuesday.
Shashank left Mizoram on Wednesday after being summoned by the chief election commissioner in Delhi, which resulted in the withdrawal of the agitation.
Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who led the second EC team to Mizoram, reportedly assured the NGO Coordination Committee leaders -- who were spearheading the movement against Shashank -- that the CEO would be replaced and the Bru voters housed in Tripura relief camps would exercise their franchise from Mizoram, which were the primary demands of the organisation.
