Unease Builds Within Kerala CPI Over Pinarayi Vijayan’s Long Political Control

For nearly three decades, Pinarayi Vijayan has remained the most powerful figure in the Kerala CPI(M), first as the party’s state secretary and later as Chief Minister. His influence over the organisation expanded steadily after he took charge as state secretary in 1998, eventually making him the dominant political figure within the party. Even after the Left’s crushing electoral setback in the 2026 Assembly election, Vijayan continues to remain at the centre of the party’s political narrative.

By the time of the 2016 Assembly election, the organisational balance of power had shifted decisively in Vijayan’s favour. The election itself was fought under the leadership of V.S. Achuthanandan, whose campaign and popularity played a significant role in bringing the Left Democratic Front back to power. Vijayan subsequently emerged as Chief Minister and began an unprecedented decade at the helm of the Kerala government, eventually becoming the first leader in the state to serve two consecutive full terms.

During his tenure as Chief Minister, Vijayan’s authority extended beyond the government and deep into the CPI(M) organisation. He effectively became the final arbiter on many major political questions, reinforcing his position within the party over the years. The 2026 Assembly election, however, has altered that equation, with the scale of the Left’s defeat and the loss of several traditional CPI(M) strongholds raising questions that extend beyond individual constituencies and the performance of local cadres.

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Despite the electoral setback, Vijayan continues to exercise considerable influence over the party’s political narrative. His explanations for defeats in Kannur have intensified an internal debate, with sections of the organisation questioning whether responsibility is being pushed downwards instead of being examined at the leadership level. There has been no open rebellion against Vijayan so far, but a growing sense of unease has emerged within sections of the party following the electoral debacle.

The emerging internal discussion has also raised a broader question for CPI(M) leaders who have remained largely silent during Vijayan’s long tenure. The issue is whether the party can undertake a serious process of introspection without examining the role of its most powerful leader. Against this backdrop, the extended CPI(M) state committee meeting scheduled in Kozhikode later this month has emerged as the party’s most closely watched organisational gathering since the election.

The September 13-15 Kozhikode meeting is expected to go beyond discussions on Taliparamba, Payyannur and the loss of traditional strongholds. It could become a wider reckoning over the style of leadership that has prevailed in the Kerala CPI(M) for almost three decades. The central question surrounding the meeting is whether Vijayan will continue to exercise the same near-unquestioned authority or whether the 2026 electoral verdict has opened the way for a stronger internal assertion within the party.

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