T’puram: Chief minister V D Satheesan on Monday defended Rathan U Kelkar’s appointment as his secretary amid opposition criticism, asserting that the controversy surrounding the IAS officer was baseless and politically manufactured.Satheesan told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the allegations raised against Kelkar in connection with the conduct of the recent assembly elections were unfounded. He said that a chief electoral officer (CEO) is appointed from a panel submitted by the state govt and questioned whether officers who serve in constitutional or election-related positions should be barred from holding govt assignments later in their careers.The CM cited the example of ex-CEO Nalini Netto, who later served in the chief minister’s office (CMO. “Does an officer’s official career end after serving as CEO?” Satheesan asked.LDF alleged that Kelkar’s appointment to the CMO shortly after the assembly elections has raised questions over neutrality, especially because he served as CEO during the polls in which UDF secured a sweeping victory.Satheesan said Kerala could not be compared to West Bengal, where there had been widespread complaints regarding the deletion of voters from electoral rolls during the special intensive revision (SIR) process.“In Kerala, no political party had raised any such complaint against the CEO. The only complaints raised here were by me when I was leader of opposition,” he said. Taking a swipe at the opposition, the CM asked: “Was it Rathan Kelkar who made us win? Was it Rathan Kelkar who got the UDF 102 seats?”Satheesan described Kelkar as an efficient officer and said that was precisely why he was brought into CMO. He noted that Kelkar had worked with former CM Pinarayi Vijayan and handled key departments including IT and finance (expenditure).LDF alleged the appointment had created an impression of impropriety.‘Only 4 people were with me during Guruvayur temple visit’The CM also responded to criticism surrounding his visit to Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple on Sunday. Dismissing allegations that his visit caused inconvenience to devotees or involved protocol excesses, Satheesan said only four people had accompanied him and that he purchased tickets for darshan.Guv’s policy addressCabinet on Monday approved the governor’s policy address for the upcoming assembly session. The meeting also decided to appoint Apu John Joseph as chief whip in the assembly. Senior advocate K C Vincent has been appointed as additional advocate general.
