Panaji, Sep 28 (IANS): The Congress' Goa unit on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to replace state Chief Electoral Officer Kunal (who goes by his first name only) accusing him of bias.

"The officer besides being CEO is holding charge over some other government departments as Secretary. It is regrettable that despite expressing serious reservations over the conduct of Kunal in the past, the ECI has failed to take any action to replace him from the position of CEO," Congress state President Girish Chodankar said in a letter to the EC.

"It is an unfortunate situation wherein Kunal, who is from the AGMUT cadre, has been posted in Goa since the past six years which is unheard of for officers from the cadre. He has exhibited complete bias in favour of the party in power and has a prejudiced approach towards Congress," he said, adding that the Congress had lost confidence in the CEO's ability to "work in a neutral manner in the conduct of the forthcoming general elections of the Goa Assembly".

The letter also states that it is against the laid down norms for a bureaucrat holding a statutory position to continue in the same post for six years.

"Hence it is once again reiterated that further continuation of Kunal as CEO Goa will be a blot on the neutrality of the CEO and as such he may be replaced with an officer who will have unflinching loyalty to duty of holding free and fair elections in the state," Chodankar said.