As Kerala awaits May 4, spotlight on CM’s legacy

If Vijayan secures a rare third term, continuity is the obvious storyline. But if power shifts to the Indian National Congress-led UDF, the spotlight will swiftly turn to whether those very precedents, once criticised, suddenly become acceptable tools of governance

- INDO-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

With Kerala waiting for the vote counting day May 4, the electoral suspense may be overwhelming, but is marked by an intriguing question ~ what happens to the precedents set over a decade by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan?

If Vijayan secures a rare third term, continuity is the obvious storyline. But if power shifts to the Indian National Congress-led UDF, the spotlight will swiftly turn to whether those very precedents, once criticised, suddenly become acceptable tools of governance.

Take the now-defunct Wednesday post-cabinet media briefing. For decades, it was a ritual that symbolised accessibility. Vijayan scrapped it, replacing routine engagement with calibrated communication.

He also put an end to the culture of frequent “sound bites”, choosing instead to speak on his own terms.

Critics cried opacity, but his supporters called it discipline.