Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Decks have been cleared for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to lead the party in 2026 Assembly Election.
Vijayan is eyeing a hat-trick as the Party Congress that concluded in Madurai on Sunday not only lifted the age bar for the 80 year-old-leader (for the second consecutive time) but also gave solid backing for him despite the serious allegations over the financial dealings between his entrepreneur daughter and a controversial mining firm.
Being chief minister of the lone state where the CPI (M) is in power, Pinarayi has been literally dictating terms for quite some time.
He retained his seat for the second consecutive time in 2021. Moreover, sources say that M A Baby's elevation as general secretary was Vijayan's choice.
Apart from lifting the 75 age limit for Vijayan, the bar on third consecutive term as MLA imposed during the last election could also be relaxed for the chief minister.
Meanwhile, Baby, who said on Sunday that Vijayan would lead the party in the next assembly polls, refused to project Vijayan as Chief Minister candidate.
"It is too early to have any discussion on the next Chief Minister," Baby said.
"If the CPI(M) and the left-front do their job in the right manner, victory could be ensured in the next election," he added.
Baby's statements leave room for speculations whether Vijayan's role will be limited only to ensure a hat-trick victory for the party and not to lead the government, especially since age and health related issues were reportedly not in his favour.
Baby, who was a former education minister in Kerala, was unhappy with Vijayan for quite some time.
Pinarayi's 'paranari' (Malayalam word for scoundrel) comment against RSP leader N K Premachandran while Baby was competing against him in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Kollam was considered to be a reason for Baby's defeat in his home town, that too when he was a sitting MLA from the region.
However, like many other CPI(M) leaders, Baby also seems to have no other option but to fall in Pinarayi's line as he holds the last word in all matters.
The CPI(M) might be able to please the Christian community by making Baby the general secretary.
Meanwhile, elevation of the leader from Kerala as general secretary could further strengthen the narrative by rival camps that the CPI(M) is getting reduced as a Kerala party.