Benny Thomas, Additional Private Secretary to Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph, has resigned on the heels of the political controversy arising from allegations of nepotism in his appointment.Mr. Thomas, who is the brother-in-law of Mr. Joseph, submitted his resignation to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Sunday. Mr. Joseph confirmed that his APS has stepped down.Mr. Thomas’s appointment was perhaps the first controversy to hound the new Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala. His resignation comes ahead of the State Legislative Assembly session resuming on June 19.A native of Ulikkal, Kannur, and a district-level Congress functionary, Mr. Thomas was included on the first list of 13 appointments to the Electricity Minister’s personal staff, sparking a political row. Raising the issue, the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) had stepped up its attack inside and outside the Assembly.The Electricity Minister had initially defended the appointment, describing Mr. Thomas — a former president of the Ulikkal grama panchayat — as an upright political worker. According to him, Mr. Thomas’s name was recommended to the post of Additional Private Secretary by the president of the Kannur District Congress Committee. Mr. Thomas had also acted as the UDF’s chief election agent in Peravoor where Mr. Joseph contested in the 2026 Assembly polls. Published - June 07, 2026 08:37 pm IST