•Kerala’s State Election Commission Chief Secretary K. Sasidharan has been appointed as the personal secretary to Congress Legislative Party Leader V.D. Satheesan.
•The ruling CPI(M) has raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest, questioning the credibility of the recent Assembly elections.
•The BJP accused the Congress of hypocrisy, citing the party’s past interference in institutions like the Kerala Public Service Commission.
•Congress leaders defended the appointment, calling it a routine administrative decision unrelated to electoral processes.
•The controversy follows closely fought Assembly elections in April 2024, where the LDF retained power with a narrow majority.
•Political observers highlight the sensitivity of the timing, given ongoing opposition allegations of electoral irregularities.
•The issue is expected to be discussed during the upcoming Kerala Assembly session.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 12 — Kerala ke State Election Commission (SEC) ke Chief Secretary, K. Sasidharan, ko Congress ke Legislative Party (CLP) Leader V.D. Satheesan ka personal secretary banaya gaya hai, jisse state mein ek naya political controversy chalu ho gaya hai. Yeh appointment Wednesday ko confirm hui hai, aur iske chalte ruling CPI(M) aur BJP ne isko lekar kade sawal uthaye hain. Dono parties ka kehna hai ki yeh recent Assembly elections ki impartiality par sawal khade kar raha hai.
CPI(M), jo Left Democratic Front (LDF) government chala rahi hai, ka argument hai ki yeh appointment election process par logon ka vishwas kam kar sakti hai. “Jab Election Commission ka ek high-ranking official Assembly elections ke kuch hi months baad Opposition Leader ke office mein bhi major role mein ho, toh isse polls ki fairness par sawal uthte hain,” CPI(M) ke state secretariat member Elamaram Kareem ne kaha. Party ne state government se clarification maangi hai, aur unpar political narratives ko manipulate karne ka accusation lagaya hai through administrative appointments.
BJP, jo state mein principal opposition party hai, ne toh aur badhkar Congress party ko “hypocrite” bata diya hai kyunki wo independent institutions mein alleged interference ko lekar chinta jata rahe hain. “Congress wo hi party hai jo Kerala Public Service Commission aur Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau jaise institutions mein bar-bar interfere karti rahi hai,” BJP ke state president K. Surendran ne kaha. Unhone Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) par double standards ka accusation lagaya, kyunki ab wo khud is tarah ki appointments se fayda utha rahe hain.
Lekin Congress leaders ne is appointment ka defense kiya hai, aur kaha hai ki Sasidharan ka role purely administrative hai aur election matters se related nahi. “Chief Secretary ki appointment official records aur correspondence manage karne ke liye hai. Ismein elections conduct karne ka kuch bhi nahi hai,” KPCC president aur ex-minister Mullappally Ramachandran ne kaha. Unhone yeh bhi kaha ki aisi support parliamentary democracies mein common hai aur isko politicise nahi karna chahiye.
Yeh controversy tab aaya hai jab Kerala ka political scene April 2024 ke closely contested Assembly elections ke baad bhi polarized hai. Us election mein LDF ne thoda jyada majority ke saath power retain ki thi. Opposition ne bar-bar polling aur vote counting mein irregularities ka accusation lagaya hai, lekin Election Commission ne koi galti na hone ki denial ki hai. Sasidharan, jo ek senior IAS officer hain, ne state government mein various key roles nibhaye hain aur 2022 mein SEC Chief Secretary bane the.
Political observers ka kehna hai ki aisi appointments unprecedented nahi hain, lekin heightened political sensitivities ke context mein inka significance badh jaata hai. Yeh issue upcoming Kerala Assembly ke monsoon session mein zaroor uthaaya jaayega, aur institutional autonomy aur political interference par debate aur teji se badhegi.
