THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the Election Commission of India has announced the annual Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in states including Keralam, and amid debates and protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Keralam is in a dilemma of its own -- absence of a full-time chief electoral officer (CEO).
The incumbent, D Sajith Babu, has also been serving as the special secretary of the general education and minority welfare departments for the past two months. While former Election Commission officials termed this unconstitutional, opposition parties raised questions about a lack of neutrality and impropriety in the appointment.
Sajith Babu was appointed the special secretary of the two departments in June. Nearly two months later, on August 15, he was made the CEO. Notably, Sajith is overburdened as he holds charge of the two heavyweight portfolios -- both of which are always in the news for multiple reasons -- even while serving as CEO.
Senior CPM leader M V Jayarajan said if the CEO holds another office in the state government, there are chances for the ruling party or front to exert influence in the CEO’s duty.
“Earlier, a CEO would be appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) from a panel of three officers forwarded by the state government.
However, this was not followed in his case. The government should either relieve Sajith Babu from his previous responsibilities and retain him as the CEO or ask the Centre to appoint another officer... unlike Rathan U Kelkar... as the CEO,” he told TNIE.
BJP parliamentary party leader B B Gopakumar termed it a continuation of the row around former CEO Kelkar being appointed as the chief minister’s secretary. “An officer who continues to be part of the state government may have to obey the instructions of the government, and there lies the impropriety in this case,” Gopakumar said.
Former chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena said additional responsibilities are normally not given to a person holding the CEO’s office as it is an independent charge.
“One expects complete neutrality from the CEO because he is the officer heading activities like electoral roll revision and elections, which may get compromised when he is also working for the state government,” Meena said.
On his part, Sajith Babu did not want to comment on the controversy, but said: “It was the state government that entrusted me with these tasks.”