Thiruvananthapuram, May 23: A political storm has arisen in Kerala following the appointment of Dr. Ratan U. Kelkar, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), as the Chief Minister’s Secretary. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has expressed serious concerns, labeling this decision as a matter that jeopardizes the integrity of the Election Commission and the credibility of the upcoming assembly elections.
The CPI(M) state secretariat issued a press statement questioning the timing of the appointment, which occurred immediately after the elections. They noted that such a significant government position has never been granted to a CEO in Kerala right after elections, suggesting it resembles a “reward for service.”
The party accused this appointment of reinforcing allegations made by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) during the elections, claiming that the Election Commission had made several biased decisions favoring the United Democratic Front (UDF). They described these actions as partisan and questionable.
The statement also referenced a controversy where a letter sent to political parties bore the BJP’s seal instead of the Election Commission’s. The CPI(M) highlighted that Rahul Gandhi had raised similar concerns regarding post-election appointments in West Bengal, suggesting that when there is a significant theft in a secret deal between the BJP and the Election Commission, the rewards are equally substantial.
CPI(M) challenged Congress and Rahul Gandhi to clarify their stance now that a similar situation has emerged in Kerala. They characterized the situation as a “shameful alliance” between Congress, the BJP, and the Election Commission, demanding accountability from Congress leadership.
The party further alleged that millions of votes were removed under the guise of the SIR process. Left parties had consistently objected to this procedure, claiming that the names of eligible voters were removed while ineligible individuals remained on the list.
CPI(M) also accused the Election Commission of abruptly halting the process of adding names to the voter list a week before the previously announced deadline. They argued this was done to ensure UDF supporters’ votes were included first.
Additionally, the party raised issues regarding irregularities in the allocation of election symbols to LDF candidates in places like Palakkad, as well as problems with the clarity of symbols on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), disenfranchisement of millions of election duty staff, and delays in announcing voter turnout.
CPI(M) pointed out that a significant controversy arose in West Bengal when the then Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agrawal was appointed Chief Secretary, and Subrata Gupta, who managed the SIR process, became the Chief Minister’s principal advisor. At that time, Congress had demanded a “cooling-off period” for election officials.
The party asserted that just as the central government attempts to undermine the Election Commission’s impartiality, Congress-led state governments are now doing the same. CPI(M) vowed to oppose any actions that damage the credibility of the Election Commission.
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