NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday drew the Election Commission's attention to "certain glaring violations" of the model code of conduct by Bihar Governor Buta Singh, in making political appointments on Saturday last, the day the poll schedule was announced. In a memorandum, it sought cancellation of the appointments.

"The decision of the Governor is colourable and amounts to a direct challenge to not only the model code but the impartial authority of the Commission to hold free and fair elections."

The appointments were meant to fill vacancies in the Bihar Public Service Commission, the Backward Classes Commission, the State Minority Commission, the 15-point Programme Implementation Committee and the State Nagrik Parishad, the memorandum said. "All these appointments are not [only] of government servants but also public men."

The provisions of the code should not be interpreted as applicable only to the States where there are elected governments. This rule should be equally applicable to States under President's rule. For, the Governor as the executive head of the State was equally obliged to observe the model code in letter and in spirit, the memorandum said.

"The political nature of the appointments and the suspicious circumstances in which they have been made are very clear. We want the Election Commission to take a serious view of the issue and cancel all appointments," Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters after a meeting with the Commission here.

The memorandum said the vacancies had existed for long and there was no hurry for the Governor to announce these appointments.

Among the appointees to the Public Service Commission, Laxmi Devi (already a zilla parishad member) reportedly belongs to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, while Sundaram Rai is a Congress member. Ram Karan Pal, appointed to the Backward Classes Commission, is a former Legislative Council member and now State RJD vice-president. Ghulam Tahir has been personal secretary to the former Chief Minister, Rabri Devi.

"Deploy paramilitary forces"

Welcoming the election schedule announced by the Commission, Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar, who was part of the delegation, urged it to ensure that Central paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas. The administration deployed paramilitary forces only in Opposition strongholds and home guards in ruling party strongholds, he alleged.

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