99 / 140 - LDF’s ‘Vijaya’ mantra for the second consecutive term in Kerala

The LDF's handling of the COVID crisis and floods coupled with a well-thought-out electoral calculation helped the LDF break the 5-year change cycle which has been a part of politics in the state.

Hyderabad: It has been more than a year since the world has started going through an unprecedented crisis.

COVID-19 remains to be a pandemic before us, in a more contagious form in its second wave, despite all efforts to check it through vaccinations and other preventive measures.

Even as India ‘struggles to breathe’ owing to the lack of medical oxygen, and overwhelmed health facilities become a usual scenario in most Indian states, Kerala has heightened caution and intensified pandemic regulations in its desperate attempts to 'crush the curve'.

Kerala has faced Nipah, another deadly virus, well before COVID became a household name all over the world. The state had also survived two disastrous floods, one before and one after the Nipah outbreak. And, then came COVID-19.

Vijayan scripts history for the LDF

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which assumed power in 2016, was not put on the defensive by the allegations and controversies raked up by the Opposition. These were all behind the greater challenges - Nipah, floods, and COVID-19 - faced by the government.

It was this knack of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala - to defend and survive all the challenges posed by nature and by the viruses, come what may, and stand for the welfare of the people - that gained relevance for a second consecutive term of governance in a state that usually alternates between the two leading coalitions in a cyclical pattern.

The government that stood by the people

When the Nipah virus started claiming human lives, Kerala's health department was quick to respond and intervene. The intervention was so effective that the department could thoroughly check any further spread of the virus and could also save lives.

In the 2018 floods, twelve of the 14 districts in Kerala were neck-deep in water. Continuous landslips and landslides were reported from the hilly regions in all districts. The death toll in floods and landslides rose to 483, besides other material losses. Kerala survived. But that was not the end. Severe flooding was reported in many parts of the state in the subsequent year. Twenty-two died again despite all efforts to rescue and evacuate people from vulnerable areas. The disaster caused by the landslides and the loss in the farm sector could not yet be evaluated. However, Kerala learnt a lesson from nature’s outburst.

The government could survive these disasters with its farsighted, people-centric development package - Nava Kerala Mission. Even though many governments had earlier made crucial interventions in the development of the state, the rebuilding initiatives and the developments that came after the floods could be more tangible and experienced by the people.

The Palarivattom bridge, Alappuzha - Kollam bypass road, GAIL pipeline and all such projects at the regional level also came to the credit of the Pinarayi government. The public schools were modernised and overhauled to match world-class education and the health system improved to keep up with world standards. A 'corruption-free' Public Works Department (PWD) finished all projects promised by the LDF during its campaign on or before time.

Despite all the criticisms, the press meets conducted by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan right from the time of floods through the current COVID-19 had always been a relief and reassurance in times of crisis to the common people of Kerala. This reassurance from the leader governing the State would have been remembered by a large section of the Kerala society during the polls, beyond political and other differences.

A strong defence

It is natural that the Opposition rakes up controversies and raises allegations against the incumbent government in a democracy. Over the last five years, fresh allegations and accusations were raised by the Opposition led by Ramesh Chennithala against the chief minister and other ministers in the Pinarayi cabinet. The government had to set records straight on many of those later on. The chief minister and his colleagues did not respond to the allegations of nepotism, sprinkler scam, life mission, deep-sea fishing trawlers, gold smuggling, dollar smuggling and backdoor entry.

Instead, they focussed on matters that needed the government's intervention. They stood by the people to solve the problems they faced and assured them that the government is with them. This was the assurance given by the LDF that was clearly conveyed to the people.

The CPM-CPI tiffs that used to be obvious earlier was never seen anywhere during this term. The CPI leadership always tried to be with the chief minister and the government over any issue. The unflinching support offered by Kanam Rajendran (CPI state secretary) and other CPI leaders, by reserving all contentions and things to be talked about, strictly to the bilateral meetings of the LDF, cannot be discounted. Even independent candidates who had won on the LDF label and with CPM’s support turned to be strong ‘defenders’ of the party later on.

Pinarayi's firm stands and grit to implement the decisions helped the government get over any crisis that came by. In certain important issues, despite facing criticism even from the court, the government did not waver, instead, found other ways to go about and tackle the situation.

The attempts by the CPM and the Left government, to instil in people that the measures taken up by the government were for their good, turned out to be successful.

From gold smuggling, life mission scam and allegations against former CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh on financial fraud and drug peddling, and many such cases, the central investigation agencies kept haunting the Kerala government, allegedly with vested political interests of the Centre. However, none affected Pinarayi’s cabinet. Pinarayi then tried to initiate an investigation against the Enforcement Directorate. Even when two personal staff of the chief minister were named accused in the gold smuggling case, and the IAS officer who was the CM’s staff was in prison for 90 days, Kerala was with Pinarayi Vijayan’s stand - ‘let’s wait and see how it pans out.’

Unflinching vigil, never let down

Even while facing natural disasters, viruses and attacks from the Opposition continuously, Pinaryi Vijayan’s ‘war room’ and the state’s health and revenue departments never let their guards down.

From the time of the unprecedented flood situation, Vijayan, who knew that a small blip would be a set back for the government, took each step cautiously. While the Opposition clamoured that the floods were ‘man-made’ and that there are failures in COVID management, Pinarayi continued to tell people that the government is with them.

Pinarayi, during his evening press meets, touched upon each section of the society and even requested the public to be considerate to stray animals and birds, not just migrant workers and other affected people. When the Centre announced a sudden lockdown leaving travellers and families on the road with no food and water, Kerala was prepared a few days ahead. During the lockdown, the chief minister said ‘no one would starve in our land.’ He ensured food for street dwellers. Arrangements were made to feed the monkeys which relied on food from the temples, stray dogs and cats, and birds.

It was not just said, Pinarayi did what he said and ensured that none starved in Kerala due to the lockdown and COVID crisis.

The CPM had effectively used its full potential and worked to get over the defeat conceded by the LDF in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The only way was to reach out to the people and stand by them. The CPM did everything from flood rescue and relief to COVID awareness programmes using the party’s organisational structure to aid in the process.

A calculated ‘distancing’

The government, which had a consecutive term in its mind, needed support from all strata of the society. However, Pinarayi tried to maintain a distance from the communal forces and community-based organisations. He seemed pre-decided on who should be with the LDF. While the UDF allied with the Welfare Party, (a political arm of the Jamaat-e-Islami) during the local body polls, the LDF had publicly criticised such an association with a communal party and had gained from it. Pinarayi also has a previous experience of allying with the PDP and tasting defeat.

While the NSS and the SNDP tried to influence and attack in many ways, the CPM stayed away without even talking to arrive at a consensus or ally with them. Pinarayi’s message that the party will not surrender to the communal organisations was clear. This decision was sure to influence a large section of youngsters. Unlike previous times, the past term of governance was also an example of how the government could be free of communal interventions in its governance.

Cautious steps aiming at a second term

The LDF had slowly started trying to pass on the idea of a second term for the Left government even when the Pinaryi government has just finished three years into its term.

Discussions were drawn and revolved around the need for a second LDF term, highlighting a continuity for the excellent developmental activities showcased by the LDF government and social welfare activities by the government beyond comparison to any of the previous governments. Social media platforms were effectively used to bring people into such conversations.

Right before the elections, the chief minister and his team of ministers reached out to the people even during the pandemic times asking people’s problems and assuring them of resolutions. By then, Pinarayi had established himself as a brand in the minds of the people of Kerala. There was only one name to the post of the chief minister -- Pinarayi Vijayan.

Meanwhile, in the UDF, things had gone out of their hands, with Ramesh Chennithala and Oommen Chandy, who joined the race in the last lap, not able to get anywhere close to Pinarayi.

When COVID continues to be a pandemic affecting many lives, people decided to vote for development, not for controversies. People reiterated that their votes are for welfare and care, not allegations. Those votes were polled and aggregated to give 99 of 140 seats to the LDF. The LDF government created history by breaking the cyclical pattern of governance witnessed in Kerala and returns to power for the second consecutive term.