KERALA BATTLES FOR NEW IDENTITIES

KERALA, long hailed as a cradle of social reform and progressive politics, is undergoing a profound political shift.

- PRABHU CHAWLA

The state that once stood as India's ideological outpost of communism and secular reason is now grappling with the growing pull of cultural nationalism. The bipolar rhythm that defined Kerala's democracy for half a century—the predictable alternation of power between the Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front—is weakening. In its place, a third pole is taking shape, as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sangh parivar make a visible impact on social and political events in a state once thought immune to their influence.

The upcoming 2026 assembly election has transformed the state into a battle ground of ideologies, identities, and power. The LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Congress-led UDF under state Congress president K Sudhakaran are scrambling to hold on to a political landscape that is shifting beneath their feet. For decades, the state was a bastion of communism and secular orthodoxy. Today, the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with the Sangh parivar, is rewriting the rules of engagement, injecting nationalism, cultural pride, and assertive ideology into Kerala's politics. Every controversy, every moral debate, and every community mobilisation is now viewed through the lens of the election, making 2026 not just a vote but a referendum on the state's future ideological identity. Kerala's story, long written in the colour red, is slowly being rewritten in shades of saffron.

The pre-election period has already seen a surge in controversies that highlight the Left's ideological vulnerabilities. The LDF revived an old allegation against RSS leader K Valsan Thillankeri, accusing him of sexually exploiting a man who later died by suicide. The case, dormant for nearly a decade, resurfaced at a time when the Sangh's influence was visibly rising, signalling how the Left is willing to weaponise moral controversies for electoral advantage.