People Back 'Captain' Vijayan Once More
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2021-05-03 13:32:07
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The people of Kerala, like the people of Rajasthan, mostly believe in changing the incumbent government after 5 years. But Pinarayi Vijayan has become the first chief minister to win a second term after 44 years. This is a huge achievement, especially after the BJP launched a vitriolic attack on the government in the gold smuggling case, involving even the chief minister's office and obliquely casting aspersions on Vijayan. That the LDF returned to power with an increased majority is all the more creditable.
The way Vijayan handled the uproar created by both the BJP and the Congress over the Sabarimala issue was really commendable and it went down well with the people. Instead of falling in the majoritarian trap of trying to please the voters, Vjayan took the stand that he would go by what the Supreme Court decides and this won him praise across the country. His handling of the gold smuggling issue was also calibrated and done with restraint.
But what worked most in his favour was that his government was seen as unbiased by both the majority and the minority communities. Then, he had the solid development work to back him up. He organized an army of volunteers during the floods that hit Kerala in 2019 and handled the crisis well. Further, his government's handling of the Covid crisis during the first wave won international laurels for his health minister K K Shailaja. The 1000 community kitchens that he started during the lockdown contributed immensely to his popularity as the poor got food in those troubled times. Vijayan has also wooed women voters like never before and they have become a solid constituency for him.
The Congress, despite taking extra pains in candidate selection and with Rahul Gandhi taking complete control of things, came a cropper. It could win only 21 seats out of the 93 it contested. Like in other states, the party made the mistake of targeting Vijayan rather than saying what it would do for the people if voted to power. This proves that the party has lost touch with ground realities.
