Published Jul 01, 2026 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 01, 2026 | 11:00 AM
Kerala Cabinet
Synopsis: Perceived inexperience of new ministers and their teams has delayed several key appointments, besides triggering controversies. Such controversies have created unease within the ruling UDF.
Recent appointments by the UDF government in Kerala have triggered criticism — not from the Opposition LDF or NDA, but from within the coalition itself.
The Congress and its affiliated organisations have openly questioned the government’s decisions to appoint the next State Election Commissioner and key appointments at the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT).
While ministers maintained that the appointments were based on collective Cabinet decisions, the growing dissent has raised a larger question: who is driving these appointments and who is paving the way for controversies to engulf a barely two-month-old government?
The Kerala government’s decision to appoint retired judge N Seshadrinathan as the next State Election Commissioner (SEC) has triggered a political controversy.
N. Seshadrinathan
The state Cabinet last week approved Seshadrinathan’s appointment, and the recommendation has been forwarded to the Governor for approval.
However, the move has been challenged by KPCC general secretary PM Niyaz, who urged the government to withdraw the nomination. He alleged that Seshadrinathan had past associations with the SFI and later maintained links with the Sangh Parivar.
Niyaz met Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday, 30 June, and is expected to meet Chief Minister VD Satheesan seeking a reconsideration of the appointment.
While Local Self-Government Minister KM Shaji defended the selection as a collective Cabinet decision based on professional merit, the controversy has exposed differences within the UDF over key appointments.
Speaking to South First on condition of anonymity, a Congress worker from Ernakulam claimed that Chief Minister Satheesan had taken a special interest in the appointment process and was personally keen on nominating Seshadrinathan as the next SEC.
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Speaking to South First, Niyaz said his objection was not personal but stemmed from the constitutional importance of the SEC’s office.
PM Niyaz (Left) and Minister KM Shaji.
“The State Election Commissioner cannot be removed from office for five years once the Governor approves the appointment. That is exactly why the government must exercise utmost caution before making such a nomination,” he said.
Niyaz argued that the SEC is not merely responsible for conducting local body elections but also serves as a permanent member of the Delimitation Commission, which redraws the boundaries of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies whenever delimitation is undertaken.
“The Delimitation Commission has enormous powers. It decides how constituencies are divided and redrawn, and those decisions can have long-term political consequences. Such a constitutional office should never go to a person facing allegations of political affiliations,” he said.
He further alleged that governments normally examine Intelligence, Special Branch and Vigilance reports before making appointments to sensitive constitutional positions to assess a candidate’s political background and other relevant aspects.
“In this case, none of those standard verification processes appear to have taken place. That is a serious concern,” Niyaz said.
He also claimed that Seshadrinathan’s social media accounts disappeared after questions were raised about his political leanings.
“I had spoken about his social media activities over the past 15 years. Soon after the issue became public, all those accounts disappeared. If there was nothing to hide, why were they removed?” he asked.
Niyaz said he has requested the Home Minister to examine the allegations and share the relevant information with Local Self Government Minister Shaji, maintaining that his intervention is intended to protect the interests of both the UDF government and the Congress party.
Niyaz has already flagged the controversial recommendation before the AICC.
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While the Cabinet cleared the appointment of N Anilkumar as Special Government Pleader for the Lokayukta and decided to recommend four Special Government Pleaders, 12 Senior Government Pleaders and 24 Government Pleaders for the High Court, several key appointments remain unresolved.
Copy of the order
The post of SEC has been vacant since 31 March, when the previous commissioner retired. Before leaving office, the LDF government had selected KG Sanal Kumar, the then Law Secretary, for the post. However, the Governor kept the appointment file pending after receiving a representation from the Save University Forum and later sought the High Court’s concurrence.
Despite the concurrence being submitted, the appointment was not cleared.
Following the change in government, the UDF has now recommended Seshadrinathan, a move the Opposition criticised for overturning the previous government’s decision.
The SEC is currently functioning under its secretary.
The SEC controversy comes amid mounting criticism within the Congress over a series of appointments made by the month-old UDF government, including ministerial staff and government law officers. Several of these decisions have faced opposition from within the party.
Among the contentious appointments is that of the C-DIT chief and the extension of the government’s public relations (PR) team.
C-DIT, an autonomous institution under Kerala’s Department of Electronics and Information Technology, provides IT, e-governance, digital transformation, media and communication support, including key PR activities for the state government.
Biju SB, who headed C-DIT during the previous LDF government and is considered close to Left organisations, was removed after the UDF came to power following pressure from INTUC leaders. However, a government order issued on 27 June reappointed him as the head of C-DIT, triggering fresh criticism within the Congress.
Speaking to South First, P Sudhakaran, INTUC vice-president, said many appointments made during the LDF government must be reviewed as they were allegedly not made according to established provisions. He described the delay in replacing such officials as a result of administrative inexperience among several ministers and their private secretaries, which has created unease within the UDF.
On concerns that politically appointed officials could later claim permanent status, Sudhakaran said that would not be possible, noting that the High Court has already cautioned against regularising political appointments.
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Even a month after Sunny Joseph joined the Cabinet, no decision has been taken on appointing a new KPCC chief, and discussions are still ongoing.
Senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal, VD Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala with Sunny Joseph.
The delay in appointing a new KPCC president has also emerged as a key concern, with many in the party believing that a leadership change is essential to ensure the smooth functioning of the organisation.
The lack of consultation has also been cited as a reason behind the recent appointments.
An Additional Secretary, speaking to South First on condition of anonymity, said the problem extends beyond inexperienced ministers. According to the official, several private secretaries and senior officials are still functioning without clear coordination, leading to delays in key administrative decisions.
Citing the recent controversy over the Director of Health Services, the official said Dr KJ Reena, who was perceived to be close to the previous LDF government, could have been replaced soon after the UDF assumed office.
Instead, the change happened only during the Nipah outbreak, making the issue politically contentious.
The official contrasted this with departments handled by experienced leaders such as PK Kunhalikutty, Shibu Baby John and Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, where decisions have been taken more smoothly due to experienced ministerial teams.
In contrast, several younger ministers heading crucial departments are still adjusting to governance, often requiring consultations with the party before taking decisions, resulting in delays.
The official also said Cabinet decisions should be more collective and transparent, noting that pending matters can be brought before the Cabinet as “out-of-agenda” items to avoid unnecessary controversies. The official said it will take more time for the administration to stabilise, as many officials are still functioning under the influence of practices developed during the LDF’s decade-long tenure.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
