Kerala CMO denies ego clash among ministers

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has denied reports that he kept off from the recent commissioning of smart city road projects in the state owing to ego clashes between two ministers.

There were reports that Local Self Government Minister M B Rajesh expressed displeasure that he was sidelined at the function for commissioning 62 roads, including 12 under the Smart City Road Project, and Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas stole the show. The roads were constructed using funds of local self-governance institutions, along with state and central funds.

Even as the Chief Minister was scheduled to commission the roads on May 16, he kept off at the last minute citing health reasons. Subsequently, Labour Minister V Sivankutty commissioned the roads in the presence of Public Works Minister Mohammed Riyas, who is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's son-in-law.

A statement from the CMO said that the ‘baseless reports’ were aimed at tarnishing the government's image. The Chief Minister kept off from three functions scheduled on May 16, which included the commissioning of the roads, owing to health reasons. There was no other reason.

M B Rajesh also denied the reports. He said that he could not attend smart city road commissioning as he was held up in another important meeting.

The fresh developments are a sequel to a whisper campaign going on in the state for quite some time that Minister Riyas was being given more prominence in government-related matters and functions. The recent decision to appoint CPI(M) leader and former MLA A Pradeep Kumar as the Chief Minister's private secretary also triggered allegations that it was a move to sideline Kumar, who is a mass leader from Kozhikode, so that Riyas, who is also from Kozhikode, could play a more political role in the district, especially since local body and assembly elections are on the cards.

Meanwhile, the BJP had already expressed displeasure that party leaders or Union Ministers from the state were not invited to the commissioning of the Smart City roads, despite the project consisting of the Centre’s funds as well.