Post Protests, Ashish Kundra Replaces SB Shashank as Mizoram’s CEO

Kundra was posted as the Commissioner (General Administration Department), Higher & Technical Education in Mizoram.

Ashish Kundra (left) replaced SB Shashank (right) as poll-bound Mizoram’s new chief electoral officer. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday, 15 November, appointed IAS officer Ashish Kundra as new chief electoral officer in poll-bound Mizoram, replacing S B Shashank.

Kundra is a 1996 batch officer and was posted as the Commissioner (General Administration Department), Higher and Technical Education in Mizoram, News18 reported.

The order came after some civil society groups in Mizoram demanded Shashank's ouster following a controversy over Bru voters lodged in Tripura’s relief camps trying to exercise their franchise.

“The Election Commission of India in consultation with the Government of Mizoram hereby nominates Ashish Kundra as the chief electoral officer for the state of Mizoram with immediate effect,” a notification issued by the EC said.

In a meeting held on Saturday, 10 November, the EC decided to invite names for the post of State Chief Electoral Officer. It had also said that steps would only be taken after it received reports of the visit by deputy election commissioner’s team to the state, ANI reported.

The EC had also said in a letter that it had replaced Principal Secretary (Home) Lalnunmawia Chuaungo earlier this week after observing his role in great detail, news agency ANI reported.

The protesters had gathered in front of Mizoram chief electoral officer (CEO) SB Shashank’s office on Tuesday, 6 November, demanding his removal.

(With inputs from PTI)