Bhubaneswar: Padampur sub-divisional police officer Laxminarayan Panda has been shifted on the Election Commission's direction ahead of the bypoll to the Bijepur Assembly constituency scheduled on Saturday.

According to a notification issued by the state police headquarters, sub-divisional railway police officer Khirasagar Nayak has been posted in place of Panda. Naik has been asked to join his new place of posting forthwith.

Panda has been transferred to the office of the IG (northern range), said sources in the police headquarters.

Director-general of police R.P. Sharma said Panda was transferred according to the directive of chief electoral officer Surendra Kumar.

Sources said the transfer order was issued after a communication to this effect was received by the office of chief electoral officer on Wednesday.

The BJP had been urging the Election Commission to remove Panda, alleging that he was working for the ruling party in the bypoll-bound Bijepur violating the model code of conduct.

On Monday, a BJP delegation, led by party vice-president Sameer Mohanty, met the chief electoral officer and demanded removal of Panda.

Two weeks ago ahead of the bypoll, the state government had shifted the Bargarh collector and SP and appointed Yamini Sarangi and Jai Narayan Pankaj in their places.

Preparations for the by-election has reached the final stage with the polling parties starting to arrive at their assigned places with polling materials.

The district police and collector have beefed up security to ensure that voters are not influenced during the polling day.

Two observers from the Election Commission of India have arrived in the state and are camping in Bijepur, said Kumar.

"It will not be possible to have web-cast in all booths. However, we will make sure that all the critical booths are equipped with the facility. Micro-observers will be deployed, and we are trying to source additional executive magistrate from the nearby districts," he said.

Out of the total 281 booths in the constituency, 155 booths have been identified as critical and security has been beefed up in these booths. Of the critical ones, 20 will be under CCTV surveillance. Web casting will be done in 20 more. Micro-observers will be deployed in 40 critical booths.