A leaked official communication has put the Vasundhara Raje-led government in Rajasthan in a tight spot.
The state's school education department has sent an official communication to BJP MLAs and district presidents to submit requests for favourable transfers of their family members and party workers employed in the department, in a particular format.
The letter, dated February 16, was issued by the office of Vasudev Devnani, Minister of State for Elementary and Secondary Education and is addressed to MLAs and district presidents.
The letter duly signed by Rajasthan Administration Services (RAS) officer Bharat Kumar Sharma reads: "If any office-bearers, former office-bearers or senior party workers are desirous of getting a transfer themselves or for their family members, they should apply in the given format and the MLA or district president should forward the application by e-mail".
The letter also has an enclosed format which is supposed to be filled up by MLAs and district presidents.
The enclosed format seeks from party functionaries to indicate where their might like their relatives to be posted. They also have to mention the present posting of their relatives along with a mention of their place of posting.
Further, it also seeks information about and the nature of the relative's relationship with the party leader or district president.
Targeting the ruling BJP over the leaked official communication, the Opposition Congress has termed it an attempt to woo "disgruntled" BJP party members after the party's defeat in the recent bypolls.
State Congress president Sachin Pilot who sought an apology from the BJP, said," The BJP is shocked by the recent defeat in bypolls so this is an attempt to reach out to its workers. The move is unconstitutional and the order should be withdrawn as soon as possible".
Echoing similar views, Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma added, "The BJP's recent loss in the bypolls was a result of BJP functionaries not acting on the directions of state leadership, hence this move is made to woo its disgruntled workers who had been complaining about ministers".
Incidentally, the state's primary education minister is considered to a loyalist of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and has been in the news for reportedly changing history in textbooks.
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