Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's Public Service Commission row now turns on a letter written on the way out of office. Former Governor Rajendra Arlekar, before moving to Tamil Nadu this month, recommended to President Droupadi Murmu that PSC chairperson M R Baiju and other members be removed and the entire commission dissolved. Sources in Lok Bhavan confirmed the recommendation to remove the chairperson.
Arlekar left Kerala on 22 October. Om Prakash Mathur succeeded him a day later, on 23 October. The chairperson could not be reached for comment.
Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the move "illegal" and a violation of constitutional provisions. "PSC members are appointed under Article 316 for a term of six years. Their removal must follow the procedure prescribed under Article 317," he said. Under Article 317, the President refers the allegations to the Supreme Court for an inquiry, and can order removal only if the court's report supports it. "Such a process has not taken place in the case of the Kerala PSC. Hence, the Governor has no right to make such a recommendation," Vijayan said.
Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar took a similar line while distancing himself from the commission. "The Governor's recommendation to the President without keeping the government informed or even taking it into confidence is a matter of grave concern," he said. "At the same time, I do not justify the PSC chairperson and members who are facing allegations related to exams."
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar read it the other way, calling the recommendation "a severe setback" to the Congress government's attempt to shield what he described as CPI(M)'s alleged malpractices in the PSC.
The commission has faced allegations of irregularities in recruitments conducted during the previous CPI(M) regime. The State Crime Branch is probing alleged malpractices in the recruitment process for a key post at the state Planning Board. In June 2026 an internal PSC inquiry found serious lapses in the evaluation process, allegedly benefiting a CPI(M)-affiliated candidate. Organisations including the ABVP and the BJYM then petitioned the Governor seeking removal of the chairperson and members.
The assembly reconvenes on Monday after a week's break, with supplementary demands for grants and additional demands on the agenda, and the session running to 29 October. Ministers have spoken in different voices on the Governor's action, which the opposition intends to use. The Chief Minister's position is the one everyone will be watching.