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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is set to meet CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam in Alappuzha on Monday in an attempt to resolve the escalating rift within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) over the state government’s decision to sign the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme.
The decision for the meeting came after a hastily convened CPI(M) state secretariat session held in Thiruvananthapuram in the morning, chaired by the party’s acting general secretary M.A. Baby.
Sources said the leadership asked the Chief Minister to hold direct discussions with the CPI to find an “amicable” resolution to the controversy that has strained relations between the two Left allies.
The CPI, the second-largest constituent in the LDF, has publicly accused the government of breaching coalition norms by proceeding with the agreement without consulting the front.
The party has termed the move a “violation of collective responsibility”, and a “humiliation” to the coalition structure.
While the CPI(M) leadership maintained that the decision to join the PM SHRI scheme -- a Central government initiative to upgrade select schools -- was taken in the state’s interest, the CPI remains firm that participation effectively endorses the National Education Policy (NEP), which the Left parties have consistently opposed.
Interestingly, even as the CPI(M) deliberated in the capital, the CPI state executive met separately to chart its own response.
The party’s senior leaders reiterated that “unilateral decisions” would undermine the credibility of the LDF. CM Vijayan and Viswam are scheduled to meet at 3.30 p.m. in Alappuzha, ahead of a joint public event of the two Left parties.
Party insiders said the meeting is expected to determine whether the rift can be contained through dialogue or whether it signals a deeper ideological fissure within Kerala’s ruling front.
The controversy erupted late last week after it emerged that the Kerala government had signed the Memorandum of Understanding for implementing the PM SHRI scheme -- a Central initiative aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) -- without the concurrence of key LDF partners.
The CPI, the LDF’s second-largest constituent, publicly alleged that the agreement was inked without its knowledge, accusing the CPI(M) of unilateral decision-making.