New Delhi: The Election Commission of India’s recent deployment of Central Observers for the Bihar Assembly elections has triggered a political storm, with the Congress, other opposition parties and neutral watchers questioning what they describe as a “disproportionate presence” of Gujarat-cadre officers among those assigned to oversee the polls.
In its press note dated 28 September 2025, the ECI announced that 470 officers — including 320 from the IAS, 60 from the IPS, and 90 from IRS/IRAS/ICAS — would serve as General, Police, and Expenditure Observers for the Bihar elections and a series of byelections across other states.
Reports indicate that atleast ten IAS officers from the Gujarat cadre have been deputed to Bihar, among them Rajkumar Beniwal, Alok Kumar Pandey, and Dr. Dhaval Patel. Opposition parties allege that this reflects “a pattern of political preference” and are demanding that the Commission release a cadre-wise breakup of all deployed officers.
A senior Congress leader said, “We are not casting aspersions on individual officers, but the composition raises legitimate questions about neutrality. Transparency would prevent speculation.”
However, sources and serving officials have described the appointments as routine, pointing out that cadre mix is determined by seniority, administrative experience, and availability. For instance, it is understood that Madhya Pradesh has sent 28 IAS and IPS officers, while Rajasthan has deputed 18 (15 IAS and 3 IPS). Uttar Pradesh, too, has sent a significant number, though official figures are unavailable.
Observers familiar with the process note that Gujarat’s share of ten officers does not suggest any irregularity, given that over 425 officials have been drawn from multiple states. “Such inter-state deployment is designed to preserve neutrality, not compromise it,” one senior bureaucrat said.
Still, the absence of public disclosure by the Election Commission on the exact cadre composition has allowed the issue to fester into an avoidable controversy, giving political parties space to question the optics of the deployment.
The Sunday Guardian reached out to the Election Commission of India seeking details of the cadre-wise distribution of observers to provide a clearer picture. However, no response was shared by the concerned ECI officials till the time the story went to press.
