Cabinet proposal sails through: Retired Judge N Seshadrinathan takes charge of Kerala Election Commission

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former District Judge N Seshadrinathan has been appointed as the new Kerala State Election Commissioner following the Governor's approval of the state cabinet's recommendation. The cabinet had proposed Seshadrinathan's name during its meeting last week.

Since Seshadrinathan is a retired judicial officer, the appointment did not require prior clearance from the High Court, ensuring a smooth approval process. This follows an earlier attempt by the Pinarayi Vijayan government on March 11 to appoint District Judge and Law Secretary K.G. Sanalkumar to the position.

Sanalkumar's appointment had stalled because prior permission from the High Court was not initially obtained. Although the High Court eventually granted its approval on March 26, the Election Model Code of Conduct had already come into effect on March 13, prompting the Governor to withhold clearance for the appointment at that time.

Seshadrinathan, a native of Ernakulam, has a distinguished career in the judiciary and retired in May last year as a judge at the Iringalakuda Family Court. He has previously served as the Principal District and Sessions Judge in Kavaratti, Ernakulam CBI Court Judge, Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate, and as a judge in the Co-operative Tribunal as well as the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals in both Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.

While the appointment faced no technical hurdles, it has sparked political opposition within the Congress party. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) General Secretary P.M. Niyas raised strong objections to the decision, with a faction of the party opposing Seshadrinathan's appointment over his alleged links to the Sangh Parivar.