| The commission reprimanded the officials for the "lapses". "It was the duty of the officers concerned of the state government to have apprised the Governor of the model code of conduct having come into force before signing and issuing the notifications in pursuance of his orders on the relevant files", the EC said in a letter toBihar Chief Secretary. |
| Top government sources confirmed that serious complaints had come in of the Governor's sons misusing their position to offer transfers and postings to various officers. |
| They said that the Governor would have to be replaced but were unwilling to provide a timeframe in which this would be done. These sources said that the EC's observations were likely to have a bearing in the matter. |
| Observing that the Governor had cleared many files that had been pending for long, on the eve of announcement of poll schedule by the Commission, EC sources said the "officers have thus failed in the proper discharge of their duties and functions to observe the model code in letter and spirit". The commission wants its decision to reprimand the officers responsible for the lapses be communicated to them in writing. |
| It also directed that status quo as obtaining on 6 September be maintained with regard to non-statutory bodies like 15-Point Programme Implementation Committee and the Bihar State Nagrik Parishad, the sources said. |
| There are indications that a Muslim leader from the Congress might be sent to Bihar as Governor as and when the Congress leadership thinks the time is propitious to replace the Governor. |
| "Retaining this Governor will have a very bad impact on the morale of the Congres worker. His sons are running a virtual industry from the Raj Bhavan. This is unacceptable and Ms Gandhi has been informed of this" said a Congress leader associated with decisionmaking on Bihar. |
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