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Fall of the 'Captain': Pinarayi Vijayan's eventful decade-long run ends

Fall of the 'Captain': Pinarayi Vijayan's eventful decade-long run ends

The Federal 2 weeks ago

In a moment tinged with the gravity of a 'tragic hero', Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan watched his historic bid for a third consecutive term slip away as the final results of the 2026 Assembly election were announced today (May 4).

This defeat marks more than just a change in administration for the LDF leader. This defeat has effectively blocked his dream of joining the pantheon of legendary Leftist leaders like Jyoti Basu and Manik Sarkar, who famously secured three or more successive mandates in West Bengal and Tripura.

Here is a look at the long legacy of a leader and administrator - the outgoing Kerala Chief Minister.

Speech after Emergency

Way back on March 30, 1977, barely a week after the Emergency was lifted, a 32-year-old MLA from Kerala's Koothuparamba rose in the state Assembly and delivered a speech that would become part of the state's political folklore.

Vijayan spoke not as a routine Opposition legislator but as a survivor. He recounted in detail the custodial torture he had endured, beaten by five policemen during his incarceration. His target was the CPI-Congress government in Kerala led by C Achutha Menon around that time, with K Karunakaran in charge of the police.

The speech announced a political temperament that would define him for decades: combative, controlled, and rooted in personal experience. That moment clearly marked his arrival as a state-level figure.

Yet, for years, his influence remained largely within Kannur, a district that has produced many of Kerala's communist leaders. He functioned in the shadows of towering figures such as AK Gopalan and EK Nayanar, and alongside strong regional leaders such as M V Raghavan. His rise was gradual, shaped more by organisation than spectacle.

Vijayan as administrator

A brief stint as electricity minister in the 1990s gave a glimpse of his administrative style. Performance and execution mattered to him. His real turning point came in 1998 after the death of Chadayan Govindan, when he took over as state secretary of the CPI(M).

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From there, he built a reputation for his ability to have tight control of the organisation and cadre discipline. His long battle with VS Achuthanandan defined an era within the party. It was a contest that tested his ability to consolidate power without formally breaking ranks. Even when he faced friction with the central leadership, including a brief exclusion from the Politburo, he did not cross the party line.

Vijayan cultivated distance from the media and preferred measured communication. That distance fed criticism that he was inaccessible. At the same time, it reinforced an image of efficiency and control. The SNC-Lavalin case became the biggest challenge of his political life. It was used by opponents and amplified within the party, especially by Achuthanandan.

But, Vijayan managed to survive that episode, which strengthened his standing among supporters who regarded him as a leader with a lot of capacity to endure sustained attacks.

Strongman in a crisis

When he first became chief minister in 2016, the organisational strongman moved into governance. His tenure was marked by crisis management. During the Nipah virus infection outbreak, Cyclone Ockhi, and the COVID-19 crisis, his daily briefings became central to Kerala's public communication.

The leader, once seen as distant from the media, became its most consistent presence during emergencies.

As an administrator, his determination and perseverance were evident in long-delayed infrastructure projects. The national highway project expansion in Kerala, which had stalled earlier under Oommen Chandy, moved forward under his watch. The GAIL pipeline project also saw completion despite resistance on the ground.

These projects became markers of his ability to push through decisions that required sustained political will.

Working-class roots

His working-class roots have remained central to his political identity. Born into a family of modest means, Vijayan has consistently projected himself as someone shaped by the struggles of ordinary people.

That lived experience, and the emphasis he places on welfare delivery and state intervention, have helped him retain credibility among large sections of the working class.

'Most opposed leader'

Ajmal S Rasaq, researcher and social commentator observed, "One of the main criticisms raised against the LDF in this election was the omnipresent image of Pinarayi Vijayan across Kerala's streets. However, most post-poll surveys have identified him as the most widely supported political leader in the state. Vijayan is not a leader who has ever advanced without resistance. He is perhaps also the most opposed leader in Kerala. But to conclude that he lacks popular backing simply because he faces opposition is a shallow reading. Among MGNREGA workers, the working class, and those who depend on government services, Vijayan continues to command significant support."

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Criticism, however, has followed him closely. Within ideological circles, he has been accused of moving away from a rigid Left position by accommodating private capital and market-driven approaches in select sectors. Supporters frame this as pragmatism.

Critics call it a departure from doctrine. His long and largely unchallenged control within the state unit of the party has also drawn scrutiny. The projection of Vijayan as "Captain" by sections of supporters has been cited as evidence of growing individual glorification in a party that historically resisted personality cults.

At the national level, as the Left declined, Vijayan's stature within the party grew. Decision-making in Kerala increasingly appeared to be centred around him. Yet, he has consistently rejected the idea that he stands above the organisation. In interviews, including one with Mohanlal, he has repeated a line that captures his political self-image.

The only thing he fears is the party, and the party stands above everything else.

Vijayan's 'inaccessibility'

Some party insiders, however, criticised his working style. "Criticism and self-criticism have always been integral to our party. What has made Pinarayi Vijayan appear somewhat distant is his inaccessibility, even within the organisation. When Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was state secretary, he could engage with the chief minister and even persuade him. That space has narrowed since," said a senior party insider.

"Today, he is seen as confiding in very few, and even the present party general secretary or state leadership are not perceived to have much influence over him. If the chief minister remains inaccessible to top leaders, it raises a larger question of how effectively the party can function collectively. That is where Vijayan, in my view, falls short," he added.

The observation points to a broader tension in Vijayan's leadership. His model delivers results in governance, but critics argue it does so at the cost of something larger, the collective clout and internal functioning of the party.

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His political journey has also included sharp personal attacks. He has been mocked for his background, including references to his origins as the son of a toddy tapper. He has been targeted by opponents lie Prime Minister Narendra Modi in political speeches.

Vijayan's response has typically been to ignore such attacks and stay within his chosen frame of politics.

His trajectory reflects a rare combination in Kerala politics. He is not a mass orator in the traditional sense, nor a consensus builder in the conventional mould. His politics is rooted in control, discipline, and endurance. The speech of March 1977 was not just a beginning. It was an early signal of a leader who would define power on his own terms while insisting that it always flowed from the party.

Political observers will now get down to analyse what lies next for Vijayan, who will turn 81 this year. Will the Left will continue to operate under his leadership after this electoral debacle or will it look for a change of guard at the top? Next few weeks will answer all such questions.

The Federal

The Federal

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