Kerala government halts PM SHRI scheme as rift widens within ruling LDF

The rift within Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) deepened after the Communist Party of India (CPI) ministers threatened to boycott the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday over the government’s decision to sign the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme without prior consultation.

There are four CPI ministers in the cabinet, and their decision to skip the meeting has forced the government to postpone the session to the evening. The crisis has emerged as a major concern for the LDF, especially with the local body polls approaching.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had convened a meeting with CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam and CPI ministers in Alappuzha to defuse tensions, but the talks failed to yield a solution. The CPI has demanded that the state withdraw from the scheme, which it claims aligns Kerala’s education policy with that of Sangh Parivar organisations.

The crisis erupted after the chief minister and the education minister went ahead with signing the PM SHRI scheme without cabinet approval.

In a damage control move, the state government has now decided to temporarily freeze the implementation of the scheme and inform the Centre of the same. The CPI(M) has also assured its ally that a cabinet subcommittee will be formed to review the issue.

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