AIZAWL: The Election Commission's move to replace S B Shashank as Mizoram's chief electoral officer on Thursday was welcomed by political parties as well as the civil societies that had spearheaded a movement to seek the poll officer's ouster.
The order came after a non-governmental organisation, Coordination Committee, the apex body of civil societies and students' organisations in the northeastern state, had launched an agitation demanding Shashank's ouster, following a row over allowing Bru refugees in Tripura to cast votes from there.
"We welcome anybody as state CEO, except Shashank, who was working against the interests of the Mizo people by making an all-out effort to register Bru voters in the Tripura relief camps without following established procedures," Vanlalruata, chairman of the committee, told PTI.
Earlier in the day, the EC announced that IAS officer Ashish Kundra was being appointed as the state's chief electoral officer with immediate effect.
Vanlalruata added the civil societies would cooperate with the new CEO if he was willing to work towards free, fair and peaceful polls.
Hailing the poll panel's decision, Lallianchhunga, the spokesperson the ruling Congress, said the EC took the right decision by removing Shashank.
He, however, expressed disappointment over the fact that a non-Mizo was chosen for the post.
"We welcome the decision of the Election Commission. It is just that the Congress had expressed its wish to see a Mizo IAS officer as the new CEO."
The state government initially suggested the names of three Mizo IAS officers for the post, but the poll panel had asked for two additional names, resulting in the appointment of a non-Mizo, the spokesperson added.
The Mizo National Front (MNF) said it was happy with the choice made by the EC.
"Shashank was causing problems in the state and his removal was the need of the hour," MNF leader Zosangliana said.
The Coordination Committee had sought Shashank's exit shortly after the state election commission removed principal secretary (home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo.
Their demand was backed by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention into the matter.
The committee also demanded that 11,232 Bru voters in six Tripura relief camps be allowed to exercise their franchise at their respective polling stations in Mizoram, and not in the neighbouring state, as committed by the poll panel.
Thousands of Bru community members had fled the state and took shelter in Tripura following ethnic clashes in 1997.
They have since been living in the six relief camps there.
The EC had earlier this month sent two high-level teams to assess the situation in the Mizoram, following a massive agitation by the civil societies outside the CEO office in Aizawl.
After the visits, the poll panel had asked the state government to suggest names for the CEO's post.
Shashank had left the state last week after being summoned by the chief election commissioner to Delhi.
Mizoram is set to go to polls on November 28.
The results will be announced on December 11.
There are 40 assembly seats with an estimated 7.6-lakh registered voters in the state, where the Congress has been in power since 2008.