Having spent 18 years in the Chief Minister’s Office in Gujarat and served four chief ministers, Kuniyil Kailashnathan — popularly known as KK in political and bureaucratic circles — voluntarily stepped down from his responsibilities.
A Malayalam-speaking domicile of Tamil Nadu, the 1979-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre continued to occupy a plush office in CMO even after he superannuated in 2013. A powerful bureaucrat, considered a crucial link between politicians in Gujarat and leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi, KK was believed to be the ears and eyes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had vacated the CM’s chair in 2014 and proceeded to New Delhi.
Kailashnathan remained omnipresent in all important government-sponsored events, even as the power baton in Gujarat passed on from Modi to Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and now the current CM Bhupendra Patel. It was CM Patel who announced the retirement through a post on X. “K Kailashnathan is retiring voluntarily from my office from June 30. He had joined the CM office in 2006 as additional secretary during the tenure of prime minister Narendra Modi as chief minister. In 2013, after retiring as additional chief secretary, he rendered his services for more than a decade as principal secretary… My best wishes to Kailashnathanji for a healthy and fit life,” stated Patel while posting pictures of the outgoing bureaucrat’s last moments in the CMO.
Before he bid adieu to the CMO, Kailashthan oversaw the rehabilitation and resettlement of evacuees of the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment project, which involved expansion and beautification of the present ashram belonging to Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad. Though there is no official communication, it is not sure if Kailashnathan will continue to oversee the Sabarmati Ashram redevelopment or continue to function as the chairman of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd, a crucial body that manages the Sardar Sarovar project on Narmada river. Kailashnathan is also listed as the chairman of Gujarat State Financial Services Ltd, a Government of Gujarat undertaking and a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
A post-graduate in chemistry, Kailashnathan’s first major posting was as district collector of Surendranagar in 1985. He also functioned as the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat in 1994-95 and later as municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad (1999-2001). Kailasnathan became the Principal Secretary in August 2005, however, it was only in July 2006, he was moved to CMO as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister — a spot he made his own for the next 18 years.
Ahead of the assembly polls in 2012, the Gujarat unit of the Congress party had accused Kailashnathan of allegedly “misusing government machinery “ to further the political agenda of the then chief minister. The party also made a representation before the Election Commission. After retirement in 2013, the bureaucrat continued functioning in CMO as “Chief Principal Secretary” — a post specially crafted to allow him to remain present at the core of Gujarat’s power centre. During his tenure in the CMO, he is known to have actively liaised with various socio-political groups to further the interests of his political masters.