Chief Minister Vijayan Remains Unchallenged as CPI-M Prepares for Kerala State Conference

Kollam (Kerala), March 5 (NationPress) As the four-day CPI-M state party conference is set to commence here on Thursday, the prevailing discussion in Kerala's former cashew capital revolves around how Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues to solidify his dominant position.

Questions surrounding whether Vijayan, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in a few months, will lead the party into the 2026 Assembly elections have been addressed by the CPI-M, which asserts that he has been granted a special exemption and once such an exemption is provided, it does not require periodic review.

It is noteworthy that the CPI-M had previously established an age limit, mandating that individuals over the age of 75 must resign from all positions and would not be eligible to contest in elections.

However, five years ago, the party decided to exempt Vijayan from this ruling, and thus, during the upcoming four-day conference, it is expected that his authority will prevail as few dare to voice opposition against him.

A political analyst, wishing to remain anonymous, noted that when questioned about Vijayan's future leadership in the party for the next elections, some CPI-M leaders responded with, 'Who else is there?'

The CPI-M has undergone significant transformations in its approach and behavior, which is why Vijayan remains unchallenged in both the Left Democratic Front and the CPI-M, as everyone is acutely aware of the repercussions of even hinting at dissent due to the fear of being ousted. If this were the CPI-M of the past, his son-in-law, P.A. Mohammed Riyas, a first-time legislator in 2021, would never have been appointed as a minister. The current state of affairs within the CPI-M is widely recognized, yet no one dares to raise concerns,” the observer remarked.

With the CPI-M experiencing significant losses in former strongholds like West Bengal and Tripura, even members of the Politburo from other states are hesitant to challenge Vijayan's authority, given his stronghold in the remaining state under the party's control.

Interestingly, Vijayan's unwavering leadership stems from his extensive knowledge of influential party members during his tenure as the state Secretary from 1998 to 2015, as well as his role in marginalizing individuals who aligned with party stalwart V.S. Achuthanandan, the last prominent figure to confront Vijayan, who ultimately had to retreat in 2016.

In 2016, Achuthanandan, then the Leader of the Opposition, was excluded from the elections by the party under Vijayan's leadership, which sparked public outrage. Similar to the situation in 2011, the party had to concede and allow him to run.

'Not only did he participate in the 2016 elections, but he also remained a key campaign figure, with every Left candidate featuring the veteran's image in their election materials, while Vijayan's likeness was often absent. In the end, despite Achuthanandan's efforts, Vijayan was appointed Chief Minister. To appease Achuthanandan, he was offered a Cabinet position as the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission,' the observer recalled.

As the constitution of the state Secretariat and the state Committee of the Kerala unit of the CPI-M is scheduled for Saturday, all eyes are on how this will once again demonstrate Vijayan's influence, as both bodies are likely to consist solely of his closest allies.