India, Oct. 29 -- 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 t...