Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (IANS): The principal allies in the Kerala-led ruling Left Front -- CPI-M and the CPI -- have been at loggerheads with each other in the Pathanamthitta district.
The differences between the two Left parties further escalated on Friday when the Deputy Speaker of state Assembly, Chittayam Gopakumar slammed the Kerala Health Minister and CPI-M leader, Veena George for ignoring his demands.
The Deputy Speaker accused George of not inviting him on the completion of one year in power by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in the district after winning the 2021 Assembly elections.
The Health Minister is entrusted with reviewing the development in the Pathanamthitta district.
Gopakumar is a veteran CPI legislator and won recently from the Adoor constituency in the district.
"I have called Veena George several times to speak about various issues concerning the health sector in my constituency, but she never picks up my phone calls and neither does she call me back. On one occasion I told her that if she visits my constituency, then they will inspect various health establishments. But she did not inform me of her visit and instead when she came, she was accompanied by her party members," said the Deputy Speaker.
"In the ongoing first anniversary celebrations of our government, even though my name was printed in the leaflets, I was not invited," he added.
Incidentally, this is not the first time Gopakumar has gone public expressing his displeasure with the CPI-M government.
In April, the veteran CPI leader went public when he slammed the CPI-M after his photo was removed from a political event held in the Kerala Assembly on the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar.
Gopakumar, 56, completed three terms from the reserved Adoor constituency in Pathanamthitta district during the April 2021 Assembly polls and was appointed the Deputy Speaker.
The CPI is the second major ally of the ruling CPI-M government led by Chief Minister Vijayan.
Incidentally, Adoor seat has of late witnessed issues between the various wings of the CPI-M and CPI, and the latest incident shows the fissures between the two Left parties in Pathanamthitta district.