Thiruvananthapuram: The 16th and final session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly will open on Tuesday with the customary address by Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar, setting the stage for what is widely expected to be one of the most combative sessions in recent years.
With Assembly elections due in April – May, the session doubles up as the last formal political battleground before the State slips into full-fledged poll mode.
As things stand, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) enters the session in pole position, buoyed by the stinging setback suffered by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the December local body elections. The results have visibly energised the Opposition, which has been firing on all cylinders against what it describes as the accumulated failures of nearly a decade of Left governance.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who first assumed office in 2016 and went on to create history by leading the LDF to a second consecutive term in 2021, now finds himself navigating rough political waters. With just weeks left for the next electoral battle, Vijayan is focused on damage control and narrative management.
The CPI(M) Central Committee meeting that concluded on Sunday has given him the green signal to lead both the party and the Left Front’s campaign, reinforcing his authority at a critical juncture. However, at 80 and grappling with recurring health concerns, questions remain over how effectively Vijayan can criss-cross all 14 districts during an intense campaign season.
These concerns are likely to be amplified on the Assembly floor, where the Opposition senses an opportunity to keep the pressure unrelenting. Being the final session of the term, sparks are bound to fly.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has already earned a reputation as a far tougher adversary than his predecessors, shedding the image of a soft Opposition.
Over the past five years, Vijayan and Satheesan have repeatedly crossed swords, producing some of the most riveting moments in recent Assembly history — often leaving both Treasury and Opposition benches in awe.
The coming weeks promise more of the same.
Though the session is scheduled to run till March, it may be cut short once the Election Commission issues the poll notification. Until then, the Assembly is unlikely to witness a dull moment.
Adding to the political drama, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal is set to present his sixth consecutive Budget on January 29, a document that will be keenly scrutinised as the Left’s last major policy statement before facing the electorate.
(IANS)
