Pinarayi's ‘Life Mission'

- Jeemon Jacob

Despite his clout in the state CPI(M), Pinarayi Vijayan had to wait longer than most before he could take charge as chief minister of Kerala in May 2016. But now that he’s here, he is firmly intent on achieving the ‘impossible’—a second successive term in office. From the days of Marxist ideologue E.M.S. Namboodiripad down to Congress Chanakya K. Karunakaran, to E.K. Nayanar and A.K. Antony, to the last man in, Oommen Chandy, it’s never been done before.

Seventy-two-year-old Pinarayi has never really been high up on the popularity rankings like these stalwarts, but he has worked at honing his ability to analyse foreseeable challenges and threats. And that is what he hopes will break the alternating cycle of politics in Kerala, where a swing of less than five per cent of the vote won the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front a 23-seat margin in the 140-member state assembly.