EC orders removal of officer accused of meddling in Mizoram rolls

AIZAWL: In a sudden turn of events, the election commission on Friday ordered immediate removal of a senior IAS officer accused of meddling in revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Mizoram.

The order issued by SB Joshi, secretary, EC, relieved Lalninmawia Chuaungo, Principal Secretary (Home) in Mizoram government of his responsibilities with immediate effect and asked him to report to the union home ministry.

It also ordered that the 1987 batch IAS officer belonging to Gujarat cadre, who was on intercadre deputation in Mizoram since April, 2018 “shall not be assigned any work relating to Mizoram or deputed to Mizoram till the process of election is over in Mizoram.” On October 29, Mizoram chief electoral officer (CEO) SB Shashank had written to EC complaining about interference by Chuaungo. BILASPUR: Renu Jogi, wife of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, on Friday announced that she will contest the upcoming state assembly election from Kota as a candidate of her husband’s party.

The announcement comes after the Congress released its final list of candidates Thursday and her name was missing from it.

Former police officer Vibhor Singh has been fielded from Kota in Bilaspur district by the Congress. Miffed over the party’s decision, Renu filed her nomination papers from Kota as the candidate of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), a political party launched by her husband Ajit Jogi in 2016.

“I have been a committed and dedicated worker of the Congress party,” she said. “But for the last two-and-a-half years, I was pained to see the treatment (by party leaders) towards me,” Renu told reporters. CHENNAI: Welcoming efforts to unite opposition parties against the BJP, the DMK Friday pledged its support to the initiative of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu to defeat the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“Corrupt, autocratic and divisive forces are destroying the democratic fabric of our country. It is the need of the hour for all non-bjp parties to come together on a common platform,” DMK president M K Stalin tweeted.