Held to account by his own for Kerala rout, what next for Pinarayi Vijayan?

chief minister and now leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan remains optimistic about the future of the Left in Kerala. While addressing a public meeting in Kannur district on May 19, he predicted that the Left Front would make a comeback to power. Vijayan listed the achievements of his government in improving people’s lives and ensuring speedy development of the state over the past decade. Read Full Story This confidence is a contrast when most district committees of the CPI(M), in their analysis of the election rout, have blamed Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan Master for the defeat. They have questioned Vijayan’s style of governance, the administration’s response to people’s issues and the alleged influence of a coterie. In all 14 district committees, Vijayan and Govindan Master faced scathing criticism from party leaders. Some district committees even challenged the wisdom to elect Vijayan as leader of the Opposition in the new legislative assembly when the election mandate had been strongly against him. Pinarayi was chosen for the post by the CPI(M) Politburo after he secured 10 votes in favour and seven against. Among those who backed him were CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, Govindan Master, A. Vijayaraghavan and comrades from West Bengal. While replying to the discussions at the Thiruvananthapuram district committee, Govindan Master admitted that he had personally faced scathing criticism from his family. Clearly, the top leadership of the CPI(M) had failed to sense not only the scale of anti-incumbency but the discontent within the party. The CPI(M) was bled by its own: victorious rebel candidates T.K. Govindan (who took the Taliparamba seat), V. Kunhikrishnan (Payyannur) and G. Sudhakaran (Ambalappuzha). The BJP wrested two seats—Nemom and Kazhakoottam—from the CPI(M) and defeated the CPI in the Chathannoor seat. “The CPI(M) needs a new political barometer in Kerala. It still relies on old leaders who sing for them. Kerala has changed. Let them speak to their sons and daughters to understand what’s missing,” said A. Jayashanker, a senior advocate in the Kerala High Court. Kerala has the tradition of alternating power between the Left- and Congress-backed alliances every five years. Even by that norm, the Left Front will need a new leadership to strike a chord with the youth in the next assembly election. “If people protest, a leader must listen. Otherwise, the leader is not honouring the mandate. Pinarayi Vijayan may have ultimately failed to govern Kerala as a people’s leader. The party should have taken corrective steps in time,” said Dr Sebastian Paul, a former Left member of Parliament and legislature. Now, with only 35 legislators in the 140-member legislative assembly, can the CPI(M)-led Left Front make itself heard before the 102 member-strong ruling alliance? Vijayan will be in the House and expected to do the heavy-lifting. Even if he could not save his government, it would be interesting to watch how the veteran of Kerala politics holds the new dispensation to account. Subscribe to India Today Magazine Ends