The V.D. Satheesan government in Kerala has, in under six months since taking office, ordered investigations into 16 major cases — 12 of which directly target decisions and controversies linked to the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The scale and pace of the probes have made the new government's approach to its predecessor a defining political flashpoint in the state.

Key Probes Under Way

The most high-profile of the investigations is a Vigilance probe into financial transactions of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), the flagship infrastructure-financing vehicle of the previous LDF administration. A special police team is separately examining alleged financial irregularities tied to the proposed visit of Lionel Messi's Argentina football team to Kerala.

The Crime Branch is probing alleged irregularities in Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations and appointments, including recruitment to senior posts. An SIT has been constituted to investigate alleged attacks on Youth Congress and KSU protesters outside the Secretariat. Further investigations cover alleged financial irregularities involving former Kannur district panchayat president P.P. Divya, the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank election, the Vadakara 'Kafir' screenshot controversy, and a case linked to protests during a flight carrying the former chief minister.

The CMRL-Exalogic Case and the High Court Stay

Among the most politically charged investigations is the Vigilance probe into alleged CMRL-Exalogic financial dealings, which reportedly involves former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others. That inquiry has been temporarily stalled after the Kerala High Court stayed further proceedings, injecting a layer of legal uncertainty into the government's broader investigative push.

Historical Parallel: How Vijayan Did It in 2016

The current blitz draws inevitable comparisons to May 2016, when Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office after the LDF defeated the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government of Oommen Chandy. One of the Vijayan government's earliest moves was to scrutinise all Cabinet decisions taken by the Chandy administration from 1 January 2016 until the announcement of Assembly elections in March that year. Notably, Satheesan himself — along with senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran — had sharply questioned several of those decisions at the time. That scrutiny, however, did not establish any wrongdoing.

A decade on, Satheesan, now occupying the Chief Minister's chair, has effectively reversed the dynamic, placing his predecessor's decisions under institutional review.

Government's Position and What Comes Next

The government maintains that every investigation has been initiated after legal scrutiny and adherence to due procedure, pushing back against charges of political vendetta. Officials have signalled that more cases could come under the scanner in the coming days, suggesting the current tally of 16 may not be the final count.

This comes amid a broader pattern across Indian states where incoming governments have used investigative machinery against predecessors — a trend that critics argue strains institutional credibility and that governments defend as accountability in action. How the courts respond to legal challenges against the probes, particularly the High Court stay on the CMRL-Exalogic matter, will shape how far Satheesan can press his investigative agenda.