Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 27 (NationPress) In a significant move, Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to engage in discussions with CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam in Alappuzha on Monday. This meeting aims to address the growing discord within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) regarding the decision to endorse the Centre's PM SHRI scheme.

The decision to convene this meeting follows an urgent CPI(M) state secretariat session in Thiruvananthapuram, presided over by the party’s acting general secretary, M.A. Baby.

According to sources, party leadership has urged the Chief Minister to engage directly with the CPI to seek an “amicable” resolution to the tension that has emerged between these Left allies.

The CPI, which is the second-largest partner in the LDF, has openly criticized the government for violating coalition protocols by moving forward with the agreement without prior consultation.

This action has been labeled a “breach of collective responsibility” and a “humiliation” for the coalition.

While the CPI(M) asserts that joining the PM SHRI initiative—a central government program aimed at upgrading select schools—is in the state's best interest, the CPI insists that this participation endorses the National Education Policy (NEP), a policy the Left parties have consistently opposed.

Interestingly, while the CPI(M) was deliberating in the capital, the CPI's state executive convened separately to formulate its response.

Senior leaders from the party reiterated that “unilateral decisions” could compromise the integrity of the LDF. CM Vijayan and Viswam are set to meet at 3:30 p.m. in Alappuzha, just before a joint public event involving both Left parties.

Insiders suggest that this meeting might clarify if the rift can be mended through dialogue or if it indicates a more profound ideological divide within the ruling coalition in Kerala.

The controversy emerged late last week when it became known that the Kerala government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme—aligned with the NEP—without the approval of critical LDF partners.

The CPI, as the second-largest constituent of the LDF, has publicly claimed that the agreement was executed without its awareness, accusing the CPI(M) of making unilateral decisions.