THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF government’s appointment of Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as secretary to Chief Minister V D Satheesan has kicked up a political row in the state, with opposition LDF and BJP openly lashing out against the same.
Both the CPM and BJP targeted Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who was highly critical of West Bengal’s BJP government for appointing its State Chief Electoral Officer as chief secretary.
Meanwhile, the government on Saturday issued orders appointing Kelkar as CM’s secretary.
Raising major questions over the credibility of the recently-held assembly elections, the CPM state secretariat likened the appointment to ‘reward for the services rendered.’
In a statement issued here, the CPM said it would be the first time in the history of Kerala that such an appointment was made immediately after the election.
“This only reiterates LDF’s stance that the commission took many biased and mysterious decisions to favour the UDF in this election,” said the CPM.
The CPM also questioned Rahul Gandhi in this regard. Referring to Rahul’s earlier remarks on the chief secretary posting in West Bengal, the CPM urged the Congress leadership to clarify whether Kelkar’s appointment too would amount to a shameless understanding involving BJP, Congress and the Election Commission.
The BJP leadership too criticised the move, urging the Congress not to play the politics of misleading the masses. Pointing out Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bigger the theft, bigger the reward’ remark against West Bengal CEO’s appointment as the state chief secretary, the BJP wondered whether Rahul would call out Kelkar’s appointment too.
“According to Rahul Gandhi’s logic, Rathan Kelkar’s appointment should also be seen as a return gift for UDF’s massive win,” the party pointed out.