The demand for removal of Mizoram chief electoral officer S.B. Shashank before the November 28 Assembly election could polarise voters along ethnic lines and also affect the BJP’s prospects.

The polarisation has become evident from the strong and united stance of the Lal Thanhawla-led state government, Mizo civil society groups, the ruling Congress, the state BJP and the Mizoram Civil Service Association seeking the removal of Shashank following the Election Commission’s sacking of principal home secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo on November 2, after the CEO allegedly complained to the poll panel about the senior bureaucrat’s “direct interference” in the election process.

On the other hand, Bru organisations have backed Shashank, who was summoned by the commission on Wednesday. Many Brus have also made it clear they would not vote in Mizoram from where they fled in 1997 to Tripura following ethnic clashes.

Besides polarisation of votes, there is also a “growing perception” among the Mizo people that Shashank had allegedly acted on the BJP’s behalf — much on the sly and while being with Mizo groups opposing the Brus — and has made all efforts to facilitate enrolment of more Bru voters. Given the small margin for defeat and win, even a few hundred votes could change the eventual outcome. Mizoram has 7,68,181 voters and 40 Assembly seats.

The BJP, it is widely believed, is trying to woo the minority Bru and Chakma communities to boost its prospects in the Christian-dominated state. There are just over 11,000 voters of the 32,876 Brus living in six relief camps in Tripura, where the BJP is in power. The BJP could have control over them as Brus are “culturally and religiously close to the Hindus”.

Mizoram is important for the BJP because it is the only state in the Northeast where the Congress is in power, having lost Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya to the BJP since 2016.

The BJP also won in Tripura and shares power in Nagaland.

A senior politician alleged the BJP was trying to use the Brus as its vote bank and the alleged pro-Bru move by the CEO could only increase the anti-BJP feeling among the Mizo people.

AICC general secretary in-charge of the Northeast (except Assam), Luizinho Faleiro, said the BJP was manipulating the CEO’s office just like it had done with the CBI. “We are with the people of Mizoram. We want free and fair polls. What has happened in Mizoram is unfortunate,” he said.

The Congress had won 36 of the 40 seats in 2013. The BJP had contested 17 seats in 2013 but drew a blank with a vote share of only 0.37 per cent, compared to the Congress’s 44.63 per cent. This time, the BJP is contesting 40 seats and has named candidates for 36.

State BJP general secretary Vanlalhmuaka, however, blamed the Congress for the CEO crisis and said it did not want to resolve the Bru problem. “The Election Commission is an independent body,” he said, adding the crisis will not impact the BJP’s poll prospects.