Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has strongly objected to a private bill introduced by MP Hibi Eden, which suggests shifting the capital of Kerala from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam. Kerala urged the union government to dismiss the proposal.

Hibi Eden presented the private bill in the Lok Sabha last March. Consequently, the union government sought the opinion of the Kerala chief secretary on the matter. In a letter addressed to the union government, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that there is no necessity to relocate the capital.

Back in 1954, it was decided that Thiruvananthapuram should remain the capital. The Kerala government informed the union government that the existing circumstances in the state still support this decision.

Hibi's bill proposed shifting the capital to Ernakulam, as it is centrally located in Kerala. The bill argued that for individuals from the northern districts, travelling to Thiruvananthapuram, situated in the southernmost region, poses significant challenges.

However, the state government contends that Hibi Eden introduced the bill without thoroughly considering the financial costs and other difficulties associated with relocating the capital to Ernakulam. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) questions whether Hibi's stance on capital relocation aligns with the Congress party's position.