Kamal Nath's letter creates flutter

BHOPAL: A letter from senior Congress leader Kamal Nath to the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary regarding transfer of an additional collector to the Congress leader’s Parliamentary constituency, Chhindwara, two months before the assembly elections, has ruffled BJP’s feathers.
The state BJP has taken the matter to the Election Commission and described it as a blatant violation of the election code of conduct.A copy of the Congress leader’s letter and the subsequent order of the state government to execute Kamal Nath’s directive have been submitted to the EC.
Kamal Nath’s letter is the second major allegation of the BJP against the political misuse of government officials before elections. Earlier, the party had complained about gross irregularities in voters’ list. Kamal Nath’s letter was written on October 7, a day after the EC enforced the code of conduct.
The letter said, ‘‘The chief executive officer (CEO), district panchayat, in my Parliamentary constituency in Chhindwara district, Nissar Ahmed, has completed four years and hence has to be transferred. Therefore, it is my request that Ahmed be posted as CEO, district panchayat, Sehore, and Ajay Sharma, additional collector, development, Chhattarpur be posted as CEO, district panchayat, Chhindwara. The orders may be issued.’’
Two days later, the state administration department issued the transfer order. A month later, the BJP complained to the EC alleging that despite the EC’s orders to stop all transfers, the additional collector, Chhindwara, has been removed’’ and Ajay Sharma ‘‘posted in his place’’.
The BJP alleged Ajay Sharma was SDM in Narsinghpur during the last poll. ‘‘In Narsinghpur’s Gotegaon constituency during the 1998 elections, the Congress candidate’s winning margin was less than a per cent. The nearest rival asked for a recount which was refused and the Congress candidate was declared winner,’’ the BJP said.