Boycott call in Mizoram withdrawn, polls on schedule: Election Commission

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday said a call given by an umbrella organisation of civil societies and student associations in Mizoram to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was "called off" and voting will take place as scheduled on April 11 for the lone parliamentary seat in the north-eastern state.

"The boycott or the bandh has been called off and polls will take place in Mizoram as scheduled," Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain told reporters here. Asked if the EC had got the boycott call withdrawn on "any conditions", Jain replied in the negative.

He said the Bru refugees would be "facilitated" to cast their franchise on April 11 as it was done during the state Assembly polls last year.

The EC sets up special polling booths for this category of voters (Bru refugees) in Kanhmun village at the Mizoram-Tripura border and the civil organisations were protesting this move.

The EC is setting up 15 polling booths in the village exclusive for the Bru refugees from Mizoram who are housed in six camps in neighbouring Tripura. The step was taken during the November 2018 Mizoram Assembly polls too.

The Bru refugees have refused to return to Mizoram for years, despite several repatriation efforts.