THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: October 31, 2025 — A significant rift has reportedly emerged within Kerala’s ruling LDF government, centering on a clash between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal. The source of the deep-seated resentment is the Chief Minister’s decision to unilaterally announce major financial decisions, notably the increase in welfare pensions and the Dearness Allowance (DA) hike, without prior consultation with the Finance Minister.
Sources indicate that Minister Balagopal was only made aware of the critical announcements—which directly fall under his portfolio—through the media reports following the CM’s press conference on October 29. This alleged side-lining has led to widespread criticism that the Finance Minister’s role has been reduced to a mere ‘messenger’ or ‘functionary’ for the Chief Minister’s office.
The ‘Silent’ Retaliation
In a subtle, yet powerful, act of political defiance and bureaucratic retribution, Finance Minister Balagopal is believed to have executed a form of ‘silent revenge’ against the Chief Minister.
While the announcement of the DA hike belonged to the CM, the actual government order (GO) must be officially issued by the Finance Department. According to internal reports, the Finance Minister deliberately sought to save face and assert his departmental authority by excluding the Chief Minister’s name from the official DA hike order.
This calculated omission in the formal documentation is seen as a direct protest against the CM’s decision to bypass the Finance Ministry and personally hog the credit for popular financial decisions, thereby further straining the working relationship between the two key figures in the state cabinet. The internal tensions within the government are now the subject of intense speculation across political and bureaucratic circles in Kerala.
