Can second-term report card secure Pinarayi's path in run-up to polls?

India Today

19-05-2025

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will be completing the fourth year of its second term in Kerala on May 21. The chief minister created political history by winning consecutive terms with massive mandates in 2016 and 2021. Will the alliance be third time lucky in the polls next year?The first term of the LDF government was marked by many challenges—the massive floods of 2018 in which 483 people died and one million people were evacuated, and the state incurred losses to the tune of Rs 31,000 crore. This was followed by deaths and huge losses in the floods in 2019 and 2020 as well. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the state and its economy.advertisementDespite the shocks, the Vijayan government's work ensured that the LDF retained the mandate in 2021. The alliance won 99 of the 140 seats and a vote share of 45.4 per cent. In its second innings, the Vijayan government prioritised mega infrastructure investment. Topping this was the Vizhinjam International Seaport, in which the state government has invested Rs 5,453 crore to develop the first mother port of India. Another Rs 1,135 crore were spent on the Kochi Water Metro and Rs 1,515 crore for the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. The government also focused on extreme poverty eradication, IT parks and an integrated rehabilitation township for the landslide victims in Wayanad, besides spending on highways, rural roads, waterways, hospitals and schools, and building the state's image as an investor-friendly destination.It is with this report card that the LDF will be going to the people for a third consecutive stint in power. Vijayan's brand of governance is also going to be showcased in the mega fourth-year celebrations across the state.advertisement
'We will repeat our victory in the assembly elections as the people are with us. We have delivered our promises and continue to serve the people with dedication and determination. While the Opposition rakes up controversies to draw the media's attention, our government remains in mission mode to deliver the best to the people,' LDF convener T.P. Ramakrishnan told INDIA TODAY.According to Ramakrishnan, the government has distributed more than 400,000 title deeds to the landless and built 420,000 houses for the homeless, spending Rs 18,000 crore since 2016.With polls just a year away, Vijayan has directed district collectors to identify shortcomings in delivery and asked the government department heads to monitor the timelines of projects. He has convened regional conferences to set targets before his government completes its term.'We have published progress reports of our government since 2016 and tackled issues on priority. The change is visible. Our strength is our delivery to the people of Kerala, who gave us a bigger mandate in the second term,' Vijayan said in a conversation with INDIA TODAY.The CPI(M)-led LDF will have to strategise hard to soften the blow of anti-incumbency even as the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress, and the BJP, which is hoping to create ripples in the 2026 polls, make every attempt to corner the government.advertisementSome of the issues on which the LDF is certain to face tough questions from the electorate are waste management, the stray dog menace—with 13 deaths already reported in 2025—and the rising human-wildlife conflict that continues to claim lives.'More than anti-incumbency, a section in the CPI(M) has become critical of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. They are of the view that the party has no stakes in the government as it is run by a chosen few bureaucrats close to the chief minister. The performance of many ministers is seen to be poor,' a retired bureaucrat told INDIA TODAY.According to him, if the LDF gets 42 per cent of the votes in the assembly elections, it can retain power in the triangular political situation. The Congress has revamped its state organisation and appointed lawyer-turned-politician and legislator Sunny Joseph as the state chief. The BJP too has a new commander—former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. As for the LDF, the chief minister remains its most bankable face.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
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