In another development, BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu drew the EC's attention to the election observer for Amethi, D K Rao's activities and urged it to recall him.

``In his capacity as the observer, he is reported to have called on Priyanka Vadra who is actively campaigning for her mother Sonia Gandhi in Amethi,'' Naidu wrote in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) M S Gill. ``This conduct is totally unbecoming of an election observer who is expected to distance himself from all political parties and persons involved in an election.''

``He is the same IAS officer who was questioned in the Tandoor murder case as an associate of the principal accused,'' BJP spokesperson Arun Jaitley told reporters on Monday.

Meanwhile, the BJPand its ally stepped up their pressure on the EC to beef up security measures in Bihar. ``The attempts at institutionalised electoral rigging during the third round of polling are a challenge to India's democratic polity and the conduct of free and fair elections. Laloo Prasad Yadav's RJD, which is an ally of the Congress, has a history of electoral violence, booth-capturing and rigging,'' Jaitley observed.