Meet Rathan U. Kelkar, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Appointed As CM V D Satheesan’s Secretary
Senior IAS officer Rathan U. Kelkar has been appointed as Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan in a move that has sparked political debate across the state.
Kelkar, a 2003-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, is currently serving as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala. The official government order regarding his appointment is expected to be issued soon.
Originally from Maharashtra, Kelkar is known for his long administrative experience in Kerala and has held several key positions in the state government over the years.
He has played important roles in governance, public administration, technology initiatives and the promotion of Kerala’s startup ecosystem.
Before being chosen as the Chief Minister’s Secretary, Kelkar was overseeing election-related responsibilities in the state as Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer.
Along with Kelkar’s appointment, the government has also announced several other key appointments to the Chief Minister’s office. Retired additional secretary Sreekumar T has been appointed as Special Private Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Siji G.S. will serve as Press Secretary, while Roy Mathews has been named Media Secretary. Thilakan K.P.K. and Mohanachandran M.S. have been appointed Additional Private Secretaries.
Meanwhile, Padmakumar M, Abimon P.A., Manojkumar P.N., Jafarkhan S., Jayachandran A. and Prakash O.T. have been appointed Assistant Secretaries in the Chief Minister’s office.
However, Kelkar’s appointment has triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), questioned the decision and alleged that appointing the serving Chief Electoral Officer to a key political post raises concerns about the credibility of the recent Assembly elections.
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The controversy intensified after opposition parties pointed out that the Election Commission notice related to the BJP symbol row was issued during Rathan U. Kelkar’s tenure as Kerala Chief Electoral Officer.
Theye also alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Kerala was conducted under his leadership, raising further political questions over his appointment to the Chief Minister’s office.
The party claimed the appointment supports allegations made earlier by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) that the Election Commission had acted in ways favourable to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also criticised the move and questioned the timing and intent behind the appointment.
The CPI(M) further drew comparisons with the appointment of IAS officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal in West Bengal, who had served as Chief Electoral Officer during Assembly elections before later becoming Chief Secretary under a BJP government.
