Kerala Governor backs CM Vijayan in presenting state's demands to Centre

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Tuesday assured that he would stand with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to effectively present the state's issues and demands before the Centre. 

The Governor gave this assurance during a meeting at Kerala House in Delhi with Vijayan and MPs from the state.

The meeting aimed to discuss Kerala's common needs and understand the crises it was facing, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office. 

During the meeting, Arlekar acknowledged the challenges faced by the state and assured that he would stand with the chief minister to effectively present them, along with Kerala's demands, to the Centre, the statement said. 

He also urged the MPs from the state to move forward together, transcending political differences, with the slogan 'nation first' while also prioritising Kerala, it said. 

The Governor further emphasised that everyone should work together to achieve their goals "without politicising" the issues, the statement added. 

Vijayan welcomed Arlekar's assurances and, according to the statement, said it was heartening and encouraging to see the Kerala Governor standing with Team Kerala, calling it a "new beginning". 

This is the first time such a meeting has been convened under the Governor's leadership, the statement added. 

Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi, along with Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Minority Affairs George Kurian—both BJP MPs from Kerala—were not present at the meeting, according to the statement. 

The Governor also hosted a dinner after the meeting, it stated.