Thiruvananthapuram, 24 May (H.S):CPI-M state secretary M.V. Govindan on Sunday strongly criticised the appointment of former Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan Khelkar as Secretary to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, accusing the Congress of adopting a 'double standard' on the issue.

Addressing the media, Govindan said the Congress had previously taken a different stand in a similar situation in West Bengal, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had criticised the appointment of a former Chief Electoral Officer as Chief Secretary under a BJP government. He argued that the Congress’ response in Kerala stood in contrast to its earlier position and questioned the party’s consistency.

His remarks came after AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal stated that he had no comments to make regarding Khelkar’s appointment. Referring to Venugopal’s reaction, Govindan said the Congress was maintaining contradictory positions on similar issues depending on political circumstances.

The CPM leader also raised concerns over Khelkar’s role during the recent election process in Kerala. He alleged that Khelkar had served as the spokesperson for the Election Commission during a period when allegations had been raised regarding the denial of voting rights to a large number of people.

According to Govindan, strong objections had already surfaced against Khelkar during the election period, and the circumstances surrounding the present appointment required further scrutiny. He said more details needed to be examined and suggested that additional revelations regarding the matter could emerge in the coming days.

The appointment has now triggered a fresh political debate in Kerala, with the opposition seeking explanations from the ruling side while questioning the propriety of appointing a former election official to a key administrative role in the Chief Minister’s office.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman