Kannur (Kerala): A fresh political controversy has erupted in Kerala following the appointment of Benny Thomas, the brother-in-law of Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph, as his Additional Private Secretary. The appointment, finalised in an official order released on Monday, has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, with critics accusing the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) of nepotism—a practice the coalition had vehemently opposed during the previous LDF administration.

Benny Thomas, who currently serves as the Kannur District Congress Committee (DCC) secretary, is among 13 personnel appointed to Minister Sunny Joseph's personal staff, which also includes two Additional Private Secretaries.
 

Congress defends move

As allegations of nepotism intensified, both the Minister's office and Congress party sources rushed to defend the appointment. Party insiders argued that Thomas should not be viewed merely as a relative of the Minister, emphasising his extensive political track record. They pointed out that Thomas was an established leader in his own right long before marrying Sunny Joseph's sister.

Thomas has been a close aide to Sunny Joseph ever since the latter took charge as the KPCC president. His political career includes stints as an office-bearer for the Youth Congress and Seva Dal, as well as serving as a Congress Mandalam president before elevating to the role of Kannur DCC secretary. He also served as the UDF's chief agent for the Peravoor constituency during the last Assembly elections.

Hailing from Nellikampoil in Ulikkal, Thomas is a seasoned local body politician who has served two terms as the president of the Ulikkal Grama Panchayat.

In the 2000 local body elections, he won the  Nellikampoil ward by a landslide, securing nearly 90% of the polled votes. His victory margin of over 2,000 votes was recorded as the highest in the entire state during that election cycle.Professionally, Thomas recently retired as the Assistant Secretary of the Ulikkal Service Co-operative Bank.
However, the Opposition has weaponised the appointment, pointing out the irony of UDF leaders rewarding relatives with coveted personal staff positions upon returning to power.