&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Kerala Chief Electoral Officer named CM secretary; BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy")
A political controversy erupted in Kerala on Saturday (May 23) after the newly elected UDF government appointed State Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar as Secretary to Chief Minister V D Satheesan.
According to the government order, “Dr Rathan U Kelkar, IAS (KL 2003), Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala & Secretary, Election Department, is transferred and posted as Secretary to the Chief Minister.”
The appointment triggered sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress of hypocrisy and linked the move to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s earlier remarks on the independence of the Election Commission.
The BJP pointed out that Rahul Gandhi had earlier criticised the appointment of West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal as Chief Secretary under the BJP government.
Kerala BJP, in a Facebook post, said, “Ratan Kelkar, the former Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala, has been appointed as the Secretary to Chief Minister VD Satheesan. According to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's logic, Ratan Kelkar's appointment is to be seen as a reward for the huge victory achieved by the Congress in Kerala. The Congress should stop this kind of politics that is misleading the people.”
BJP leader Amit Malviya also attacked the Congress over the appointment and accused Rahul Gandhi of selective criticism.
Trending Stories
)
Xi Jinping's new AI bloc: China launches 'World AI Body' with Pakistan and Russia in, India out
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 football stars who went viral on social media during the tournament
)
Karoline Leavitt to be US Vice President when Usha Vance gives birth? JD Vance says...
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
IN PICS | Top 10 unforgettable moments from FIFA World Cup 2026
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
'There is no need for...': PM Modi takes a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, sends big message amid Parliament March
)
'Could be bombed at any moment': What Iran's Araghchi told Trump envoy Witkoff during negotiations
)
BTS at FIFA 2026: Check the halftime show timings for India and across the world
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
)
JD and Usha Vance welcome fourth child: Who serves as acting US vice president during Vance's paternity leave?
)
Older than Himalayas: 85mn-year-old Kewra plant reached India 24mn years ago, fossil discovery in Assam shows
)
Did Iran secretly ship 70 million barrels of oil to China? Report claims $6 billion crude exported before blockade restored
)
Homer's Iliad written before The Odyssey found inside an Egyptian mummy
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 awards race: Who are Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove contenders ahead of the final
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global air power ranking 2026: India surpasses China
)
Truck loaded with stones, metro stations closed: What's happening at Jantar Mantar now
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
)
FIFA 2026: BTS lights up World Cup final halftime show with 'Dynamite' performance
)
'Chalo Sansad' march today: Section 163 in force, Delhi Police remove barricades; unfazed Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET topper
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s tail fins are canted to minimize its radar footprint
)
Imran Khan's sister links India-Pakistan 2025 conflict to Israel recognition plans
)
US strikes Iran, sirens heard in Kuwait, one American soldier killed in Iraq: What's happening in West Asia
)
Argentina's racism problem: How football chants reflect a deeper historical legacy
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
“Rahul Gandhi's selective outrage stands exposed yet again,” Malviya wrote on X.
He further said, “Now compare that with Congress-ruled Kerala. Ratan U Kelkar, a 2003-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer who is not even the senior-most officer in the state, is being appointed Secretary to Chief Minister V D Satheean while continuing as Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, a position that demands institutional neutrality and independence.”
The controversy comes days after the Congress-led UDF registered a massive victory in the Kerala Assembly elections by winning 102 seats, with Congress alone securing 63 seats.
