Kerala CM Satheesan Defends Kelkar Appointment, Dismisses Opposition Allegations

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday strongly defended the appointment of senior IAS officer Rathan U Kelkar as his secretary, amid sharp criticism from the opposition parties, and said there was no complaint against the officer at any stage of the election process .

Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan rejected allegations raised by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), calling them politically motivated. He described Kelkar as an efficient officer with a proven administrative track record across departments .

The Chief Minister said the appointment of a Chief Electoral Officer follows a constitutional and standardised process , where the state government submits a panel of officers and the Election Commission makes the final selection. He questioned the controversy surrounding Kelkar’s subsequent appointment as his secretary, asking what wrongdoing had been established.

Satheesan also pointed out that several former Chief Electoral Officers later held key government positions. He cited former CEO Nalini Netto as an example, noting that she later served in the Home Department, became Chief Secretary, and also worked in the Chief Minister’s Office, indicating that such career progressions are not unusual.

Defending Kelkar’s credentials further, he said the officer had worked in multiple key departments under the previous government led by Pinarayi Vijayan, including IT, Environment, Planning, Economic Affairs, Taxes, and also served as GST Commissioner. He said these roles clearly demonstrated Kelkar’s administrative experience and capability .

Responding to criticism from the BJP and CPI(M), Satheesan said both parties were engaging in double standards , adding that no political party had raised any objection to Kelkar’s role as Chief Electoral Officer at the time of elections. He further stated that there had been no complaint regarding the election process or voter-related issues in Kerala linked to Kelkar .

The BJP had earlier termed the appointment “opportunistic politics” and sought clarification from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging possible links to electoral favouritism. The CPI(M) also accused the ruling coalition of inconsistency in its stand on administrative appointments.

Satheesan countered these allegations by saying that similar claims in other states could not be selectively applied to Kerala. He also questioned the opposition’s basis for raising the issue, asking repeatedly whether any formal complaint had ever been made against the officer or his conduct.

Calling the allegations unfounded, the Chief Minister said the controversy was being unnecessarily politicised and stressed that Kelkar was appointed purely on the basis of merit and experience , not political considerations.