The SP demanded the removal of seven top officers, including Chief Secretary A K Gupta, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur, DGP Vikram Singh and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal, Additional Cabinet Secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey.

Principal Secretary (Home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur also figured in the list of officers the BJP wanted changed, while the Congress demanded extra security arrangements in constituencies where dons-turned-politicians are in the fray. Representatives of political parties individually met Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami and Election Commissioners Navin Chawala and S Y Quraishi at the Raj Bhawan. The full commission, which arrived here in the afternoon to review the election arrangements, gave them a patient hearing.

On Thursday, the commission will hold a meeting with the district magistrates and police chiefs, besides the Chief Secretary, the DGP and other senior officers.

Former advocate general Virendra Bhatia, who led the SP delegation, said, “We handed over a list of seven officers to the Commission. They function like the agents of the government. Most of these officers hold more than two posts in the government.”

He said they requested the Commission that there should be no change in the voters’ lists that a candidate gets at the time of election.

The SP also demanded an end to the misuse of government machinery by those BSP leaders who had been given the status of minister by virtue of being vice-chairmen of boards and corporation. “Most of the zonal coordinators of the ruling BSP enjoy this status and they work for their party in the election,” Bhatia added.

He told the commission that BSP workers were forcibly putting up banners and posters on houses. BJP leader Hridaya Narayan Dixit said they had submitted a list of pro-BSP officers and specifically mentioned Kunwar Feth Bahadur.

“He is holding the posts of Principal Secretary (Home) and Principal Secretary (Appointment). He transfers officers in the interest of the ruling party,” Dixit said, adding the party also cited several examples of officers staying in a post after completing their tenure.

State Congress general secretary Subodh Srivastawa said they asked the Commission to review the role of a section of bureaucrats and police officers. “Transfers made after February 15 must be cancelled to ensure free and fair elections in the state,” he said.