Kerala Opposition Accuses State Government of Power Centralisation

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Keralam government of concentrating decision-making powers inside the Chief Minister's office. Speaking at a Communist Party of India (Marxist) political explanation meeting in Madikkai, Mr. Vijayan stated that even cabinet ministers are kept in the dark about major choices.

Specific Concerns

Mr. Vijayan called the current situation unprecedented in the State and demanded a judicial inquiry into what he termed suspicious administrative actions. He pointed out a specific case involving an electricity purchase agreement with GNA. According to him, the minister in charge had no prior knowledge when the State entered into that agreement, nor when the decision to abandon it was made. He further claimed that governance lacks coordination between departments because the Chief Minister makes choices independently, and alleged that authorities are trying to create an artificial power shortage to help corporate monopolies.

Context

In parliamentary systems, cabinet government relies on collective responsibility where ministers share joint accountability for policy decisions. Tensions often arise when administrative authority is seen as heavily concentrated in the head of government's office rather than shared across departments.