No More Red Lines

As Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan is now happy to put development before dogma.

- Jeemon Jacob

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vija­yan is not the most loved politician in Kerala. Nor has he ever wanted to be a dar­ling of the masses. But in his five ­decade ­long political career, in his party and in government, what he has achieved is a reputation for being an adept administrator, a man who works with meticulous precision to achieve his targets. Naturally, his track record has made him one of the state’s most feared and respected politicians.

Pinarayi’s first 100 days in the top job have passed without incident. To his advantage, the Opposition has been in disarray after the election drubbing, and long­time adversary in the party, the nonagenarian former chief min­ister V.S. Achuthanandan, seems at peace with the post—chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission with cabinet rank—that the party’s central leadership has assigned him. With his penchant for creating trouble, VS’s rehabilitation was a real challenge for Pinarayi. But that too has been accomplished without fuss.

In this short period, Pinarayi, 71, has shown that he is no novice in running a government. His long years as state secretary of the CPI(M) in Kerala have stood him in good stead. And it’s really also a golden opportunity. No chief minister after E.M.S. Namboodiripad and K. Karunakaran has got this big a mandate and a chance to stamp his authority on how the state is run. “There is a remark­ able difference in the style of Pinarayi Vijayan and other chief ministers who’ve ruled the state. He is very sharp and demanding. His meetings are business­like. If you’ve done your homework, it’s easy to work with him,” a senior IAS official says.