For CPM in Kerala, the writing on the wall is clear, barring for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and all others associated with Left coalition parties could read what lies ahead for them unless urgent corrective steps are taken. The first in their minds was getting rid of Pinarayi Vijayan leadership and his corrupt legacy. The lower-level leaders are muttering at present in whispers. It may not take much time for them to collectively open up and demand loudly the removal of Pinarayi. CPM and other Left cadre is worried about their fate in Kerala politics as their mind is filled with the horrible situation; their Bengal counterparts were pushed because of the silence they maintained when the governance was going to a toss under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee during 2006-11. Left got decimated in the 2011 elections because of poor governance under CPM leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and since then, there is no recovery. Left was reduced to irrelevance in Bengal politics, with BJP gaining the second spot, leaving the Left with no representation both in the assembly and Lok Sabha. Repeat of that situation is starting in Kerala, and that means the ‘extinction’ of communists in Indian politics, and such a scene is a dreaded one even to imagine for the Left. No party wish to die a natural death, and CPM and other Left parties are no exception, but when exceptional political conditions develop and prevail too long, and leaders fail to tackle that situation, it will be difficult for a party to survive, and that is what the Left cadre feels in now in Kerala.
In Kerala, the Left was euphoric before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as they had just broken the Kerala political norm of no coalition, winning two successive elections in that state. The entire credit for the 2016 electoral victory and retaining power in the 2021 elections was garnered by Pinarayi Vijayan, and even CPM hailed his leadership and strategy. The local body election victory in 2023 boosted the confidence of LDF and Pinarayi became an unquestionable leader of Left. Drunk with power, Pinarayi Vijayan like an ostrich, buried his head in Kerala backwaters with the belief that no one can track his wrongdoings. The pro-Left media of Kerala failed in its responsibility of exposing the unacceptable acts happenings under Pinarayi. However, Malayalam voters could sense the dangers with the continuation of the Left rule and made a wise decision to leave the Left bleeding with a single Lok Sabha seat. The CPM and Left parties are not so much worried about its defeat but are more hurt at the BJP’s maiden entry into Lok Sabha storming the red citadel. In the Kerala electoral scene, prior to the current Lok Sabha victory, BJP track record was a single assembly seat win in seven decades. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NDA, led by BJP, flexed its political muscle by standing first in 11 assembly constituencies and standing second in another 8. Political observers feel that with the kind of political gain BJP got in 2024, the next assembly elections in Kerala scheduled for 2026 may not be bipolar as it was for the last several decades but certainly a tri-polar with BJP leading the third front in about 30 assembly constituencies in the state.
Pinarayi Vijayan, the hero of the 2021 electoral victory for the Left, is now the villain after the 2024 Lok Sabha results for LDF. The obvious comparison with then Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee started emanating. It was Buddhadev who the CPM blamed as the reason for Bengal verdict of throwing the communists into the Bay of Bengal in 2011. Like Pinarayi of Kerala, Budhadeb of Bengal also gave the Left two successive victories in 2001 and 2016 elections and then took the party down the slope in to a quagmire. Similarities are obvious for the observers. Though the defeat of Left in Bengal is attributed to the administrative and political failure to handle the Singur and Nandigram agitations by farmers over the acquisition of their farmlands for the Nano car factory establishment by Tatas, the other main reasons were the running of government as a CPM outfit accommodating all corrupt demands from the party leaders. The party cadre and leaders’ indulgence in the money-making through political manipulative activities was rampant then. Corruption in high places was also there.
The current situation in Kerala is no different from Bengal of Buddhadeb era. However, there is little difference in corrupt practices. If under Buddhadeb, the state of Bengal experienced the ‘socialistic corruption’ where each communist leader got his share in the ill-gotten money; in contrast, Kerala under Pinnarayi, the corruption is ‘centralised’, with major share of tainted rupee reaching the Chief Minister or his near and dear. It was a more organised, highly specialised corrupt practices with some incidences having international ramifications. It is not an allegation, but the gold smuggling from the Gulf, through specifically appointed security and checking branches and even Pinarayi family using the diplomatic channels for the safe smuggling of gold, is reality. His own secretary was arrested, along with persons close to him were arrested in that case.
When Jyoti Basu was heading the Left government, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee resigned from the cabinet labelling the “Jyoti Basu ministry being one of the thugs and thieves” (choreder montrshobha). Now, in Kerala, many MLAs of the ruling party are making the same allegations against the Pinarayi cabinet. Criticism from the opposition regarding the governance and corruption against the ruling party is quite common, but here in Kerala, three MLAs Anvar, K.T. Jaleel and Karat Razack, all closely associated with CPM are making specific allegation about the close circle of politicians and officers who formed a corrupt group encouraged and abetted by the CM. Sasi, the political secretary for the CM, is handling the home ministry on behalf of CM Pinarayi. Sasi has the history of serving as the political secretary to former CPM CM E.K. Nayanar and then facing the allegation of his role in the infamous ice cream parlour sex case of 1997.
Sasi was accused by a woman associate of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Sasi was demoted by CPM then and after some time such a character was resurrected and accommodated as a close aid to CM by the CPM higher-ups and gave control of the home ministry. This was done, as their own party members allege, to get the tainted money collections in the official corridors without scrutiny from the public. Sasi controls the home department and entire police force of Kerala serves the CPM interest through his orders. The ADGP M.R. Ajith Kumar is singled out as the ‘super cop’ who is aiding the CPM and Pinarayi Vijayan through his links in ‘gold smuggling and criminal syndicates’ and acquiring wealth. The recorded phone conversation of a serving SP with an MLA making damning allegations is circulating in social media. The content of that phone talk involves the details of ‘extensive racket of pocketing the gold seized from the smugglers arriving from the Middle East at the Kozhikode airport’.
By this time the, all Indians know about the Pinarayi’s attempt to suppress Justice Hema committee report on the alleged sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. The committee report submitted almost 5 years ago was purposefully kept in vault, under flimsy grounds, as some people who are close to the ruling Left parties is involves in the exploitation of film actresses.
There are more accusations coming out every day against Pinarayi Vijayan, including his own preferences for his son-in-law, who is also a ministerial colleague. Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena got married to Muhamad Riyas and son in law was given important portfolio. There were confessional statements from those who were arrested in gold smuggling cases, saying that Pinarayi’s family was the beneficiary of these smuggled gold. With each revelation, the CMP lost its credibility in Kerala society.
CM Pinarayi Vijayan instead of answering the complaints is seen busy luring his own party rebellious candidates and then threatening the critics and media with legal suits. The opposition parties are demanding action to be taken first against his own party mouth pieces as they themselves were rising the issues of corruption in high places. CPI leader Raja accused Pinarayi Vijayan of hobnobbing BJP leadership to bail him and his family out of the ED investigating cases. The investigation so far made points out the finger of suspicion at CM’s official residence or CM’s close relatives. The ED moving into Pinarayi official residence is a matter of time.
It is in this backdrop that CPM cadre is talking about the replication of the Budhadeb Bhattacharya period to their party in Kerala. In the voting booth where Pinarayi and his family are voters, the vote went against the CPM candidate, and that is the signal for the confirmation of Pinarayi leading the party down in Kerala just as Buddhadeb did for the party in Bengal. Confirmation of that comparison may become a reality soon, and that reality laments the other partners in the LDF.
