For free polls in state, Bihar home secretary must go: BJP

The BJP on Friday said Bihar's Home Secretary Amir Subhani must be relieved of his post in order to have free and fair assembly polls in the state.

The BJP placed the demand before a team led by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, who arrived here on a two-day visit on Friday to review preparations for the upcoming assembly polls.

An official said the BJP has also demanded that the assembly polls should be conducted in three or four phases.

Ruling Janata Dal-United and its ally RJD of Lalu Prasad strongly criticised the BJP for demanding removal of Subhani.

"It has again exposed the BJP's mindset to look at even top officials on religious line," Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said.

JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said Subhani was one of the honest and hard working officers and there was no allegation against him.

The Congress demanded that the poll panel deploy central paramilitary forces at all polling booths while the NCP demanded check and control on the use of money power in polls.

The visiting team will meet top district-level officials on Saturday to make elaborate security plans for the elections, the official said.

After reviewing the preparations, the commission is likely to finalise the date for the assembly polls and may announce it next week, the official added.