Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan to Skip Niti Aayog Meeting; Seeks PM's Nod for State Finance Minister's Attendance

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not attend Saturday's Niti Aayog meeting in the national capital. Instead, he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to permit state Finance Minister K B Balagopal to represent the state. The letter requesting the change was sent before the Union Budget 2024-25 was announced.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not be attending the Niti Aayog meeting set to take place in New Delhi on Saturday, government sources confirmed on Friday.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijayan expressed his inability to attend and sought approval for state Finance Minister K B Balagopal to represent Kerala at the meeting.

The letter was sent well before the Union Budget 2024-25 announcement. The reasons for Vijayan's absence remain unclear. The ninth governing council meeting of the Niti Aayog will proceed under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Modi.