CEO Kelkar as Kerala CM’s secretary: CPI(M) questions credibility of Assembly polls
In a statement, the party said such an appointment, made immediately after the elections, appears to be a “reward” and is unprecedented in the state
The state secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has alleged that the appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr. Rathan U Kelkar as Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan undermines the credibility of the recently concluded Assembly elections.
In a statement, the party said such an appointment, made immediately after the elections, appears to be a “reward” and is unprecedented in the state. It added that the development lends credence to the LDF’s earlier allegations that the Election Commission had acted in a biased and suspicious manner in favour of the UDF during the election process.
Controversies during polls
The CPI(M) also referred to controversies during the polls, including an incident where a BJP seal allegedly appeared on an official communication of the Election Commission (EC) sent to political parties. Drawing parallels with West Bengal, the party cited remarks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier criticised similar post-election appointments there as a “deal” between the BJP and the EC, suggesting that “the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward.” The Congress had also termed such appointments a “shameless nexus”.
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The party asked both the Congress and Rahul to clarify whether a similar “nexus” involving the Congress, BJP and the EC was at play in Kerala.
Raising further concerns, the CPI(M) alleged that lakhs of votes were removed from electoral rolls in the name of Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with genuine voters deleted while ineligible names were retained. It claimed the Commission had abruptly stopped adding new names to the voter list a week before the declared deadline, without prior notice, and hurried the finalisation of the rolls after allegedly ensuring inclusion of UDF votes.
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The statement also cited multiple irregularities, including confusion in allocation of symbols to LDF candidates, unclear printing of symbols on voting machines, denial of voting rights to lakhs of polling personnel, delay in releasing final voter turnout figures, and allegations regarding the opening of strong rooms.
Congress accused of 'double standards'
According to the CPI(M), these developments raise serious doubts about whether there was a coordinated intervention behind the electoral process, with the latest appointment strengthening such suspicions.
Referring again to West Bengal, the party noted that the post-election appointments of officials had drawn nationwide criticism. It pointed out that the Congress had then demanded a “cooling-off period” before appointing election officials to key government posts, and asked how the party now viewed a similar move in Kerala.
The CPI(M) further alleged that while the BJP-led central government is attempting to undermine the neutrality of the EC, Congress-led state governments are also engaging in similar interventions, turning the Commission into a system that acts in line with political leadership.
The party registered a strong protest against what it termed as attempts by both Central and state governments to erode the credibility of the EC.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran also weighed in, accusing the Congress of “double standards”, noting that it had opposed similar appointments in West Bengal but doing the same in Kerala, calling it the “height of hypocrisy”.