Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday, 2 May chaired the final Cabinet meeting of his second term — a brief, 10-minute online session held from Thiruvananthapuram — approving financial relief for victims of the Valparai accident just days before Kerala's electoral verdict is set to be announced on Monday.

The session combined administrative urgency with a sense of political closure, coming days after Kerala went to the polls on 9 April. The results will determine whether Vijayan secures a historic third consecutive term or whether the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) returns to power.

Valparai Accident Relief Approved

The Cabinet's most significant decision was the sanction of ₹10 lakh compensation from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for the families of five deceased victims of the Valparai accident. The incident involved a vehicle carrying teachers, staff, and family members of Pang Government U.P. School in Malappuram, which overturned, leading to multiple casualties.

The beneficiaries include the kin of school bus driver Noushad Ali, cook Sajida, Rukhiya, Shakeela, and student Mohammed Hisham. Other deceased teachers were reportedly covered under existing insurance schemes and were therefore not included in the direct compensation list.

Medical Expenses to Be Borne by Government

The Cabinet also decided that the government will bear the medical expenses of Mohammed Shahad, son of a deceased teacher, Masneen, daughter of another teacher, and Mohammed Fahis, the driver of the ill-fated vehicle. In cases where victims hold insurance, any medical expenses exceeding the coverage limit will also be reimbursed from the relief fund.

Administrative Decisions Ratified

In a separate administrative move, the Cabinet ratified an earlier order creating 14 additional posts to ensure the smooth functioning of the Twelfth Pay Commission. The ratification underscores the government's intent to keep institutional processes on track even during the political transition period.

A Quiet End to a Nine-Year Tenure

Closing the brief session, Vijayan extended his best wishes to his Cabinet colleagues — with the sole exception of one, all of whom are once again in the electoral fray. The moment brought a quiet, understated end to a tenure that began in 2016, continued through a re-election in 2021, and now stands at a decisive crossroads. Notably, no Kerala Chief Minister has ever won a third consecutive term, making Monday's result a potential watershed in the state's political history.

As the counting day approaches, all eyes will be on whether the Left Democratic Front (LDF) can defy precedent or whether Kerala reverts to its decades-long pattern of alternating governments.