The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has condemned the appointment of Rathan U Kelkar, the former Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala, as Secretary to Chief Minister VD Satheesan, labeling it a 'reward for services rendered' that raises serious doubts about the credibility of the recent Assembly elections. CPI(M) stated that such an appointment has never occurred immediately after an election in Kerala and strengthens allegations that the Election Commission acted in favor of the United Democratic Front (UDF) during the electoral process. The party also pointed to past remarks by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who criticized similar appointments made by the BJP in West Bengal, suggesting a collusion between Congress, BJP, and the Election Commission. Furthermore, CPI(M) raised issues regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, claiming that the Commission deleted legitimate voters while retaining ineligible ones. They also noted confusion over election symbol allocations for LDF candidates and reported that government employees assigned to election duties were denied their voting rights. The Keralam BJP echoed these criticisms, asserting that the appointment of Kelkar should be viewed as a reward for the Congress's electoral success.