Binoy Viswam, the State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has publicly expressed his discontent with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) regarding the appointment of Rathan U. Kelkar as Secretary to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. Viswam accused the UDF of emulating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led State governments by appointing advisers who have supported policies that undermine voting rights based on caste and religion. He specifically pointed to Kelkar's past actions as Chief Electoral Officer, where he allegedly endorsed controversial policies from the Election Commission that have been criticized for disenfranchising certain voter groups. Viswam articulated that such an appointment could raise significant doubts among the populace about the government's commitment to fair electoral practices. Additionally, he highlighted concerns stemming from Satheesan's recent trip to Mangaluru, where he met with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) just before the Assembly election results were announced, further fueling skepticism about the UDF's political direction.