Last month, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan released the progress report of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, highlighting its achievements over the last two years and emphasising its goal of raising the standard of living in Kerala to the level of middle-income countries in the developed world in the next 25 years. The government’s ongoing development projects are bringing the State closer to this goal, he said.
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In response to Mr. Vijayan’s claims, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, alleged that the LDF had not fulfilled even 100 out of the 600 promises in its 2016 election manifesto. He alleged that the progress report was filled with false claims. Promises such as the creation of 10 lakh new jobs and packages for Malabar, Kuttanad, Idukki, and Wayanad had not been kept, he said.
Leaving aside these claims and accusations, in the last two years, the CPI (M)-led Left government has managed to avoid significant political trouble despite facing allegations of corruption and nepotism in the bidding for big-ticket projects such as the AI-enabled traffic surveillance system in the State and the K-FON project aimed at providing free Internet for two million households. It has also been facing controversy over the sponsorship for the Loka Kerala Sabha meeting in New York to be attended by the Chief Minister. The absence of ideological clashes that marred past regimes of the Left government has given the present government a fertile ground to implement several projects. These include the widening of the highway connecting Thiruvananthapuram with Kasaragod, the GAIL pipeline project, and the Vizhinjam Port project.
The CPI(M) has also learned from its humiliating defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when it won only one seat out of the 20 in Kerala, and seems prepared for the 2024 elections. On the other hand, the Congress is struggling as an Opposition party to effectively challenge the ruling dispensation as it is plagued by internal differences and factionalism.
But there are also issues confronting the government. The previous CPI(M)-led LDF government, also headed by Mr. Vijayan, performed admirably, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and won accolades. Breaking the State’s long tradition of the incumbent government being unseated every five years, the Vijayan-led LDF stormed back to power. But many critics and political analysts believe that now there is an undercurrent of discontent against this government. The CPI(M) has failed to effectively counter the allegations raised against its government on various issues such as AI-enabled surveillance system and K-FON. This has given the impression that the Opposition is dictating the political discourse.
There are also some leadership challenges. In the first Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry, the then CPI(M) State Secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had constructively evaluated and reviewed the government’s performance. Balakrishnan passed away in 2022. The absence of his guidance has left a void in the party’s leadership. Former Ministers T.M. Thomas Isaac, K. K. Shailaja, and A.K. Balan had also been in the forefront, fiercely defending the government’s policies and decisions. But now a noticeable shift has occurred, with the current ministers exhibiting a weaker response to challenges such as the attack on doctors and the upcoming visit of Mr. Vijayan to the U.S.
Many seem confined to their respective departments and are battling to convincingly address such problems. This has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the government’s ability to maintain the same level of efficiency as before. The CPI(M) State Secretary, M.V. Govindan, is learning the intricacies of balancing party policies and government programmes. Similarly, LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan, who is facing allegations of financial impropriety, has been struggling to restore public confidence in the face of the Opposition onslaught. The Chief Minister’s popularity remains intact, which is why he has been on the public stage highlighting the achievements of his government.
Political analysts say the 2024 Lok Sabha polls provides another opportunity for the CPI(M) to consolidate its position in the State. But for that to happen, the party leadership must introspect, analyse both successes and failures and refine its strategies and approach. Only then can it navigate the changing currents of Kerala politics and earn the trust of the electorate.
