Thiruvananthapuram: For nearly a decade, Kerala politics revolved around one man. As Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan presided over an administration that projected authority, discipline and political invincibility. Now, after losing power, his inner circle is beset with troubles.
Barely weeks after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) suffered its worst electoral setback under Pinarayi Vijayan’s leadership, a series of developments suggest that the protective ring around the former Chief Minister and his closest associates is beginning to fray. The latest signs emerged on two fronts.
In the controversial Nava Kerala Sadas Yatra assault case, members of Vijayan’s former security detail have reportedly gone underground after non-bailable charges were invoked against them.
The Nava Kerala Sadas was a 36-day mass public outreach program conducted by the LDF government in Kerala between November and December 2023. Pinarayi Vijayan and his entire Cabinet travelled across all 140 Assembly constituencies in a specially commissioned bus to interact directly with the public.
Investigators say around five (all police officials) accused are untraceable, their phones switched off, even as courts prepare to hear anticipatory bail pleas.
For men who once formed part of the powerful security apparatus surrounding the state’s most influential political leader, the image of being hunted by investigators marks a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
At the same time, another controversy has erupted following allegations that police personnel manhandled Vijayan’s driver at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station.
The complaint, now before the State Police Chief, has once again drawn attention to the changing political atmosphere after the transition of power.
Yet these developments are only part of a larger picture.
The CMRL-Exalogic case involving Vijayan’s daughter, Veena Vijayan, continues to cast a long shadow over the former Chief Minister’s political legacy.
The Enforcement Directorate’s probe remains active, while court proceedings have ensured that the issue stays firmly in public focus.
Meanwhile, the fallout from last week’s attack on ED officials during a search operation at Vijayan’s rented residence has proved particularly damaging.
More than two dozen CPI(M) workers have already been arrested and further action is expected.
The incident has generated intense debate over political violence, accountability and the limits of cadre mobilisation.
What has amplified the controversy, however, is the reaction on social media. Images of former minister V. Sivankutty visiting the homes of arrested party workers have gone viral.
One widely circulated photograph showing the modest living conditions of an accused worker has sparked uncomfortable conversations online.
Critics have used the image to highlight what they describe as the stark contrast between ordinary party cadres facing arrest and legal troubles, and political leaders and their families who remain insulated from the consequences of political confrontations.
Whether fair or exaggerated, such perceptions are gaining traction at a time when the Left is struggling to recover from a crushing electoral defeat.
For the first time in years, the political conversation in Kerala is no longer centred on Pinarayi Vijayan’s authority, but on the mounting challenges confronting his family, former aides and loyalists.
For a leader who dominated Kerala’s political landscape for the past over two decades, that may be the most significant shift of all.
(IANS)
