UDF convener accuses Kerala CM Satheesan of bypassing party in senior appointments

UDF convener Adoor Prakash charged Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan with appointing senior allies without informing the UDF. At a Thursday press conference Prakash said the cabinet named M K Muneer of the Indian Union Muslim League as chair of the administrative reforms commission and Forward Bloc leader G Devarajan as the government’s special representative in Delhi. Both posts carry cabinet-rank perks and were created by the previous LDF government to accommodate senior leaders. Prakash complained that he learned of the decisions only after they were announced and that party workers across Kerala were left to field questions. He warned the AICC of his dissatisfaction and said the chief minister, as UDF chair, must call a meeting of the front. The appointments increase IUML’s cabinet-rank count to six, a point the UDF argues was never discussed with them. Earlier Congress candidates had eyed the two posts, but Satheesan’s government chose the IUML and Forward Bloc nominees. Sources close to the chief minister claim the issue had been settled in earlier talks. The rift follows a series of criticisms since Satheesan took office in May, including accusations of ignoring party structures and making unilateral policy shifts such as private helicopter use and changes to the Vizhinjam seaport plan. The state Congress lacks a full-time president; incumbent Sunny Joseph is a minister and his planned resignation has been delayed by national leaders. BJP opponents have seized on the moves, alleging the UDF is being steered by the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami. ## Context The dispute highlights how coalition partners vie for senior posts in Kerala’s UDF government, a pattern that often surfaces whenever the front forms the administration.