The renewed boycott call by the Mizo groups to protest against allowing displaced Bru tribals — at camps in Tripura — to vote in a border village, prompted the Election Commission to write to Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, expressing concern.

The poll panel had removed Chuaungo, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer on deputation as home secretary last year on grounds that the state government was interfering in the Assembly poll process to make it difficult for around 12,000 Bru voters.

Around 33,000 Brus have been staying in Tripura transit camps since clashes with the Mizos in 1997. They voted in the camps through postal ballots until Assembly polls last year when they voted at polling stations at Kanhmun village in Mamit district of Mizoram.

Then chief electoral officer S.B. Shashank was removed by the commission after militant protests against Chuango’s removal threatened to derail the poll process.

Mizo groups demand no special facilities be given to the Brus who have not accepted a resettlement deal.

The state’s chief electoral officer Ashish Kundra told this correspondent over phone: “The letter says that the state government must make all necessary arrangements for conduct of a peaceful election. That includes taking preventive measures…The EC said it is concerned about free, fair and peaceful polling. The state government and the election department have certain roles to fulfil.”

Kundra added that he had met members of the All NGO Coordination Committee along with Chuaungo on Wednesday and the chief secretary would also be meeting influential Church leaders.

“People tend to mix up voting with the repatriation agreement. The Election Commission is obliged to make arrangements for voters who are categorised as ‘displaced’,” he said.

They say that travelling to vote on polling day is not possible for elderly persons.

They currently survive on a dole of Rs 150 a month and 600gm of rice a day for adults and half of that for children.

In the Assembly polls, only 52 per cent of the displaced Brus voted.

The turnout in rest of the state was 75 per cent. Brus complained that the elderly people and pregnant women could not travel to Kanhmun to vote.