‘Unnecessary fuss’: Kerala CM defends appointment of former state survey chief Rathan Kelkar as his secretary

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Monday (May 25, 2026) said there was “unnecessary fuss” over the decision to appoint Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rathan U. Kelkar, till recently the Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala), as his secretary.

Briefing reporters about the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Mr. Satheesan said that neither the CPI(M) — which was then in power — nor the BJP found fault with Mr. Kelkar’s service as Chief Executive.

The only complaints were made from his own office as then Leader of the Opposition. And even those were not aimed at Mr. Kelkar on a personal level, he said.

“Unlike Bengal”

Moreover, the appointment cannot be compared with the one in West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress, Congress and CPI(M) have leveled serious allegations against the West Bengal Chief Minister following widespread removal of names from the electoral rolls during a special intensive review, the Chief Minister said.

In Kerala, no such complaint was raised against the CEO by the opposition, which at the time was the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). No political party accused him of election manipulation. It should also be remembered that Mr. Kelkar was appointed as the CEO by the then CPI(M)-led LDF government, the Chief Minister said.

“What exactly is the basis of this controversy? He (Mr. Kelkar) is an All India Service (AIS) officer posted in Kerala. The Election Commission of India selects an officer from a panel submitted by the state government and appoints him as the Chief Election Officer. Does the officer’s official life end after the elections?” asked Mr. Satheesan.

Mr Kelkar is an “executive officer with a good track record” in departments including IT, Environment, Planning and Economic Affairs and Taxation. Since the chief minister himself was in charge of the finance portfolio, there is nothing extraordinary about the appointment of the official, he suggested.

Mr. Kelkar took charge as Secretary to the Chief Minister on Sunday.

Published – 25 May 2026 14:37 IST