Rathan U Kelkar on Jattvibeday took charge as secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, even as his appointment sparked a political controversy, with the opposition questioning the alleged “double standards” of the ruling Congress in the state.The opposition, including the Left, BJP and SDPI, targeted the state government over the appointment of former election officials to key government positions.The 2003-batch Kerala cadre IAS officer entered the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) after overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and the Assembly elections. Unlike West Bengal, Kerala did not witness any major controversy over the revision of electoral rolls.During the SIR process, Kelkar, who was appointed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in December 2024, regularly met representatives of political parties and addressed their concerns. He also conducted several ground-level assessments of the revision exercise ahead of the elections.However, his appointment has now triggered a political controversy, with the opposition questioning the propriety of the move.When West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal was appointed the state’s Chief Secretary earlier, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had remarked in a post on X, “In the BJP-EC’s ‘chor bazaar’, the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward.”Referring to that comment, both the CPI(M) and the BJP asked Gandhi to clarify whether his views remained the same in the case of Kelkar’s appointment.Kelkar first came into the limelight in 2007 while serving as Sub-Collector of Devikulam in the high ranges of Idukki district. He had initiated a major eviction drive against illegal constructions and encroachments during the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.Kelkar’s campaign against the encroachment mafia was later taken over by a three-member special task force.CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan intensified the criticism, alleging that the Congress had changed its stand depending on political convenience. He referred to earlier remarks made by Congress leaders on similar appointments in BJP-ruled states and termed it a “clear double standard”.Govindan also raised questions regarding Kelkar’s tenure as Chief Electoral Officer and alleged irregularities during the recent Assembly elections.