Data from the Election Commission indicates a notable imbalance in the distribution of observers for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, with a significant proportion of observers coming from states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A Scroll analysis reveals that 68% of the 243 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers appointed as general observers are from BJP-ruled states, even though those states comprise only 57% of India’s total IAS cadre.
Of the 243 general observers assigned to each of Bihar’s Assembly constituencies, Gujarat alone accounts for 14 officers—a figure that, while seemingly modest, is disproportionately high considering Gujarat’s strength of 255 IAS officers. In contrast, opposition-ruled states such as West Bengal and Karnataka, which have larger IAS cadres, have sent fewer observers.
Moreover, 68% of the police observers monitoring law and order in Bihar’s Assembly constituencies are also from BJP-controlled states and union territories, while such states represent only 59% of the total Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre in the country. The disparity is even more pronounced in constituencies that experienced close contests during the 2020 Bihar elections, where 80% of police observers are from BJP-ruled regions.
Observers are tasked with upholding the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring fairness, impartiality, and transparency. General observers from the IAS oversee voting and counting processes, whereas police observers from the IPS are responsible for maintaining law and order and coordinating with civil administrations.
In Bihar, one general observer has been deployed to each of the 243 constituencies, accompanied by one police observer in each of the state’s 38 districts. The data indicates that larger states with more IAS officers have contributed a higher number of general observers; for instance, Uttar Pradesh has dispatched the most observers, consistent with its share of India’s total IAS cadre.
However, the representation from other large states is less proportional. Maharashtra, with 359 IAS officers, has sent 20 observers, while West Bengal, with 368 officers, has only deployed 10. Overall, observers from BJP-led governments are overrepresented in Bihar, which also includes officials from the AGMUT cadre covering multiple union territories.
The pattern persists among police observers, who too are disproportionately drawn from BJP-governed states, with officers from the Union’s control showing a marked overrepresentation. In the constituencies where candidates secured victories by margins of less than 1% in the previous elections, the proportion of general observers aligns reasonably well, but police observers’ presence tilts sharply towards BJP representation.
Out of the 20 constituencies with minimal winning margins, 12—representing 60%—have general observers from BJP-led states. In terms of police observers in these closely contested areas, 80% are affiliated with IPS officials from BJP-governed regions, with the AGMUT cadre reflecting the highest representation.
This situation emerges against a backdrop of scrutiny on the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has faced criticism regarding allegations of partiality towards the BJP, including claims of “vote theft” and potential manipulation of voter rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Jawhar Sircar, a former member of the Rajya Sabha from the Trinamool Congress, articulated concerns regarding the profile of general election observers, emphasizing that IAS and IPS officials from Gujarat may be influenced or beholden to BJP leadership. He expressed that this trend raises questions about the integrity of the Election Commission, which he argues appears biased.
Notably, on October 28, the Congress party voiced apprehensions regarding the deployment of IAS officials from Gujarat as observers for the Bihar elections. In a statement posted on X, Congress warned voters, insinuating that the ruling BJP is engaged in administrative malpractices and “vote chori.”
The analysis of observer deployment suggests a systemic preference for officers from BJP-ruled states, coinciding with a high-stakes electoral contest in Bihar, where 243 Assembly seats are set to be decided on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced on November 14.
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