The Election Commission is hurt by baseless charges made against its functioning and fears that these intend to malign the fair image of the constitutional body.

Without naming the Rashtriya Janata Dal party of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the EC has expressed anguish over the allegations that it is biased in its functioning.

"The allegations were totally false, unwarranted and deliberately designed and intended to malign our fair image," said officials of the EC, in its first ever reply to charges made against it.

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The RJD has repeatedly charged that the EC is biased against the party, Dalits and Muslims. The RJD also accused the EC of playing a partisan role, by resorting to largescale transfer of officials from the weaker sections in Bihar.

Sources in the state election department said Chief Election Commisioner B B Tandon ,who is visiting Bihar, took the charges seriously and directed officials to refute them.

More news: Bihar