Taking exception to political commentators attributing the LDF's win in Kerala Assembly polls "solely" to the personality and role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) mouthpiece People's Democracy, in a editorial, said "individual and collective effort" led to the historic victory. The editorial by People's Democracy editor and former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat also seemed to object to Vijayan being called a "supreme leader" or a "strong man".
In a stunning electoral victory,the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) rode back to power in Kerala winning 99 of the 140 seats, bucking the over four-decade-long trend of Communists and Congress-led UDF coming to power alternatively. With this victory, Vijayan has become only the third chief minister in Kerala to be re-elected and the first to continue in office after completing a full term.
"There is an effort by sections of the media and some political commentators to reduce this historic victory solely to the personality and role of Pinarayi Vijayan. According to them, it is the emergence of a 'supreme leader' or 'strong man' that was the main reason for the electoral success of the LDF. They claim that one man dominates the government and party. "There is no doubt that Pinarayi Vijayan, as chief minister, set a new standard in providing political guidance to policy making, always keeping people's interests in mind and displaying administrative ability in getting policies implemented. Nevertheless, the victory is the result of both individual and collective efforts," the editorial stated.
It also said that as far as the CPI(M) and the LDF are concerned, the incoming ministry will continue the tradition of "collective work and individual responsibility". The editorial then goes on to list the significant aspects of the election in the state. One of them was the model of development, formed by the Left vision of a planned economy, that was implemented by the LDF government and has found wide acceptance among the people. it siad.
"The LDF government was the only state government in India to continue with the process of 'five-year plans' and 'annual plans' after the abolition of the Planning Commission by the government of India. "It fashioned a policy framework that built on and strengthened the state's heritage of social development, particularly in public education, public health, social welfare, and social justice," it said. The editorial also lauded the government for the way it tackled Cyclone Ockhi in 2017, extreme rainfall events followed by floods and mudslides in 2018 and 2019, the Nipah virus disease in 2018, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. "The re-election of the LDF government is a timely reminder of the relevance of the Left in the country today. The policies of the government represent the most important alternative in the country to the neo-liberal Hindutva regime," it stated.
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