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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 27 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to meet CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam in Alappuzha on Monday in an attempt to resolve the growing rift within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the state government’s decision to sign off on the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme.
The decision of the meeting came after a hastily convened CPI(M) state secretariat session in Thiruvananthapuram in the morning, which was presided over by the party’s acting general secretary MA Baby.
Sources said the leadership asked the Chief Minister to hold direct discussions with the CPI to find an “amicable” solution to the dispute, which has strained relations between the two Left allies.
CPI, the second largest constituent in the LDF, has publicly accused the government of violating alliance norms by going ahead with the agreement without consulting the front.
The party termed the move as a “violation of collective responsibility” and an “insult” to the alliance structure.
While the CPI(M) leadership said the decision to join the PM SHRI scheme – the central government’s initiative to upgrade selected schools – was taken in the interest of the state, the CPI is adamant that the participation effectively supports the National Education Policy (NEP), which the Left parties have consistently opposed.
Interestingly, while the CPI(M) held deliberations in the capital, the CPI state executive met separately to decide its response.
Senior party leaders reiterated that “unilateral decisions” would weaken the LDF’s credibility. Ahead of the joint public program of the two Left parties, CM Vijayan and Viswam are scheduled to meet in Alappuzha at 3.30 pm.
Party insiders said the meeting is expected to decide whether the rift can be stopped through talks or whether it signals a deeper ideological rift within Kerala’s ruling front.
The controversy started late last week when it emerged that the Kerala government had signed the MoU to implement the PM SHRI scheme – a central initiative aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) – without the consent of key LDF partners.
The CPI, the second largest constituent of the LDF, publicly alleged that the agreement was made without its knowledge, and accused the CPI(M) of taking the decision unilaterally.
–IANS
SG/DPB