‘Did Kelkar make us win 102 seats?’: Satheesan hits back at Opposition over secretary appointment row

Facing mounting criticism from Opposition parties over the appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as his secretary, newly sworn-in Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Sunday strongly defended the decision, dismissing allegations of political impropriety and calling for “constructive criticism” instead of controversy.

In a relaxed and engaging interaction with the media, once again markedly different from the often restrained style associated with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Satheesan responded to reporters’ questions with a mix of humour and detailed explanations. In fact, he took less than five minutes to wrap the question. 

The controversy erupted after the Opposition questioned Kelkar’s appointment, accusing the Indian National Congress of double standards by appointing a former election official to a key government post while previously criticising similar appointments in BJP-ruled states, especially West Bengal.

Responding to the criticism, Satheesan questioned the comparison with West Bengal. “In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, Congress and CPM had raised serious allegations against the Chief Electoral Officer during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, including claims that large numbers of voters were removed. That was a serious allegation. No such complaint was ever raised against Kelkar in Kerala,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that while some parties had raised complaints during the elections, none had ever accused Kelkar of manipulating electoral outcomes. “Did Kelkar make us win 102 seats? What kind of argument is that?” Satheesan asked sarcastically.

He further noted that Kelkar had been included in the panel for appointment as Chief Electoral Officer by the previous Left government itself. “The panel was submitted by the Pinarayi government. Did they recommend his name to help the UDF win 102 seats? How does that argument even stand?” he asked. Both the CPM and the CPI had strongly criticised Kelkar’s appointment in recent days.

Explaining the process of appointing a Chief Electoral Officer, Satheesan said the appointment is made by the Election Commission from a panel provided by the state government and is purely administrative in nature. “A CEO is appointed to conduct elections. Once that responsibility is over, can an officer’s career simply end there?” he asked.

Satheesan also cited the example of former bureaucrat Nalini Netto, who served as Chief Electoral Officer before later becoming Chief Secretary and serving in the Chief Minister’s Office. He reiterated that no political party, including the Opposition, had ever accused Kelkar of wrongdoing.

“Kelkar had worked under the previous LDF government as well. He served as Secretary, Taxes, and Commissioner of GST under the then Finance Minister. His experience is important, especially since I am also handling the Finance portfolio now,” Satheesan said.

Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister urged political parties and critics to engage in meaningful and constructive criticism that could contribute to Kerala’s future instead of creating unnecessary controversies.