Senior BJP leader K. Surendran criticized the Congress-led Kerala government for appointing Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan Kelkar as Secretary to the new Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. Surendran accused the government of double standards and political hypocrisy in a social media post.
He highlighted a similar controversy in West Bengal involving the appointment of the former Chief Electoral Officer as Chief Secretary. Surendran questioned the Congress party’s silence on the Kerala appointment despite Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Bengal incident. The BJP leader’s comments have sparked a new political debate on post-retirement and post-election appointments of senior bureaucrats and election officials.
The ongoing political discourse in Kerala has intensified with parties engaging in public disputes over governance, appointments, and allegations of institutional favoritism post the Assembly elections. Despite Surendran’s allegations, the Congress leadership in Kerala has not officially responded to the issue.
Surendran, a prominent figure in Kerala politics, contested from the Manjeswaram Assembly constituency in Kasaragod district. Although he secured the second position in the 2021 Assembly election, he dropped to third place in 2026. The BJP managed to secure three seats in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly, marking its presence in the state’s political landscape.
