<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Senior <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress </a>leader <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mani-shankar-aiyar">Mani Shankar Aiyar</a> has said that he is sure that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a> will again become Kerala chief minister. </p><p>Speaking at the 'Vision 2031: International conference on development and democracy' organised by the Kerala state planning board in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Aiyar said that Kerala, was India's leader in Panchayati Raj. He also flayed the absence of Congress leaders at the event. </p><p>Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera said Aiyar "has had no connection whatsoever" with the Congress for the past few years. "He speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity," he said on 'X'.</p> .<p>Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala had earlier urged Aiyar and other eminent personalities like Amartya Sen to keep off from the event citing that it was a pre-election promotional event</p><p>Aiyar's praise for Vijayan and his remark that Vijayan will retain power is an embarrassment to the Congress as the Kerala assembly polls are approaching. </p><p>It was while praising the implementation of Panchayati Raj that the former union minister said that he was sure that Vijayan would be the next chief minister. </p>.Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams Centre's directive to stop incentives to paddy farmers.<p>"I'm afraid there is no champion for Panchayati Raj left in the country. So therefore, I have to fall at your feet, Pinarayi Vijayan, and say, please, sir, pick up the baton that the Congress has dropped, " he said. </p><p>"Kerala is India's leader in Panchayati Raj. The state is ironically achieving more than anyone else on the expectations of Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The only state that attained progress in Mahatma Gandhiji's direction of the poor having a voice in the nation's development is the one ruled by the Marxist-Leninist party of India. I do regret very much the absence of my party colleagues on this occasion," said Aiyar who was a former union minister for Panchayati Raj. </p><p>Citing that Karnataka has outstanding contemporary legislation on Panchayati Raj, he suggest that Kerala should also amend the laws based on the practical knowledge. </p><p>The three day seminar is a culmination of a series of consultations held across the state to gather people's opinions on state's development</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Senior <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress </a>leader <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mani-shankar-aiyar">Mani Shankar Aiyar</a> has said that he is sure that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a> will again become Kerala chief minister. </p><p>Speaking at the 'Vision 2031: International conference on development and democracy' organised by the Kerala state planning board in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Aiyar said that Kerala, was India's leader in Panchayati Raj. He also flayed the absence of Congress leaders at the event. </p><p>Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera said Aiyar "has had no connection whatsoever" with the Congress for the past few years. "He speaks and writes purely in his personal capacity," he said on 'X'.</p> .<p>Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala had earlier urged Aiyar and other eminent personalities like Amartya Sen to keep off from the event citing that it was a pre-election promotional event</p><p>Aiyar's praise for Vijayan and his remark that Vijayan will retain power is an embarrassment to the Congress as the Kerala assembly polls are approaching. </p><p>It was while praising the implementation of Panchayati Raj that the former union minister said that he was sure that Vijayan would be the next chief minister. </p>.Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams Centre's directive to stop incentives to paddy farmers.<p>"I'm afraid there is no champion for Panchayati Raj left in the country. So therefore, I have to fall at your feet, Pinarayi Vijayan, and say, please, sir, pick up the baton that the Congress has dropped, " he said. </p><p>"Kerala is India's leader in Panchayati Raj. The state is ironically achieving more than anyone else on the expectations of Congress Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The only state that attained progress in Mahatma Gandhiji's direction of the poor having a voice in the nation's development is the one ruled by the Marxist-Leninist party of India. I do regret very much the absence of my party colleagues on this occasion," said Aiyar who was a former union minister for Panchayati Raj. </p><p>Citing that Karnataka has outstanding contemporary legislation on Panchayati Raj, he suggest that Kerala should also amend the laws based on the practical knowledge. </p><p>The three day seminar is a culmination of a series of consultations held across the state to gather people's opinions on state's development</p>