Alappuzha (Kerala) | Kerala's ruling LDF coalition remains divided, with talks between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI on Monday failing to resolve the dispute over the PM SHRI schools scheme.
Chief Minister Vijayan met CPI secretary Binoy Viswam and the party's ministers to discuss the signing of the MoU for the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India scheme.
After the meeting, Viswam told reporters, "The issue we raised has not been resolved. We held talks with the CM, and it was very cordial. But no solution was found to the issues. So our concern remains. The next step will be informed later."
When asked whether CPI ministers would stay away from the next cabinet meeting, Viswam said the decision would be announced by the party leadership at the appropriate time.
He also noted that further discussions with the CPI(M) had not yet been decided, adding, "CPI has the right to take decisions according to the situation."
CPI ministers K Rajan, G R Anil, J Chinchurani, and P Prasad declined to comment earlier in the day, saying the decision would be taken by the party executive and announced by Viswam.
Vijayan, who was touring Oman when the CPI expressed dissent over the LDF government's decision to sign the MoU with the Centre, returned to the state on Sunday night.
After attending the CPI(M) state secretariat meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in the morning, the chief minister travelled to Alappuzha to participate in events marking the 79th anniversary of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising.
The CPI state executive met around noon to discuss the PM SHRI issue.
During the meeting, Viswam stepped out of the party office and told reporters that he would meet the chief minister at the Alappuzha government guest house in the evening.
Later in the afternoon, Viswam and the CPI ministers arrived at the guest house around 3.30 pm for discussions with the CM. The meeting between Vijayan and Viswam lasted nearly an hour.
Following the talks, Vijayan held a brief meeting with CPI ministers Rajan, Anil, and Prasad, which lasted about 20 minutes.
By 5 pm, the CPI secretariat meeting began, attended by Viswam and the party’s ministers, while the chief minister left for the public meeting.
The Left parties have opposed the union government’s National Education Policy (NEP) and the PM SHRI scheme since their introduction, alleging that they are part of the RSS’s larger agenda to influence the education system.
The CPI's main contention is that the state government signed the MoU without any discussion in the Cabinet and that the party learned about it only through media reports.
However, state Education Minister V Sivankutty maintained that the MoU was signed to avail the Centre's education funds and assured that there would be no changes to the state's school curriculum.
