New Delhi/Alappuzha (Kerala), Oct 27 (NationPress) The rift within Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) regarding the government's endorsement of the Centre's PM SHRI scheme has intensified as attempts to resolve the deadlock between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have seemingly failed. This came to light after a nearly 50-minute meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam.

The meeting was organized to address the concerns surrounding the state government's decision to approve the Centre's PM SHRI school development initiative without prior discussions in the cabinet.

Following the meeting, Viswam informed the media that while the discussions were amicable, they did not yield any tangible outcomes. "Our points have not been resolved, our talks were cordial, but our problem remains the same," he stated.

Shortly after Viswam's comments, CPI General Secretary D. Raja spoke to reporters in Delhi, confirming that the state leadership convened on Monday in Alappuzha to deliberate on the PM-SHRI matter. "Our party believes that we cannot endorse the NEP 2020 as it's a perilous policy from the Centre, which we have consistently opposed," he asserted. In light of this, the party has voiced its objections to signing the MoU. During the meeting, Viswam reiterated this stance, urging CM Vijayan to defer the MoU. "Our position remains unchanged, and we will continue discussions. The Kerala government should communicate with the Centre to retract what was signed," he added.

These statements from senior leaders highlight the CPI's ongoing discontent with the government's unilateral decision to sign the PM SHRI scheme without prior consultation.

As the second-largest faction within the LDF, the CPI has been vocal about not being consulted before the government finalized the agreement with the Centre, arguing that such unilateral actions undermine the principles of coalition governance.

Additionally, reports suggest that the four CPI representatives in the Vijayan cabinet may abstain from the upcoming weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday to send a decisive political message that their party "cannot be taken for granted".

This situation signifies the most significant strain within the LDF in recent years.

The last instance of a similar protest by CPI ministers occurred in 2017 when they boycotted the Cabinet after CM Vijayan declined to remove then-Transport Minister Thomas Chandy following a negative High Court ruling.

The CPI's frustration peaked during the last cabinet meeting when their nominee and state Revenue Minister K. Rajan raised concerns regarding the PM-SHRI matter; however, CM Vijayan remained silent, fully aware that the PM-SHRI programme had already been signed.