Why CPM’s Kerala reset has been complicated by probe into Pinarayi Vijayan

4 min readThiruvananthapuramUpdated: Sep 23, 2026 05:19 AM IST

Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. (File Photo)

Since losing power in Keralam four months ago, the CPI(M) has been trying to root out the “wrong tendencies” accrued by the party organisation in the last three decades former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been at the helm. However, the Congress-led state government’s decision to order a police investigation against Vijayan, following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) recommendation in a case of alleged corruption, has forced the party to close ranks around him.

Last week, the CPI(M)’s state committee held a three-day meeting in Kozhikode, an unprecedented conclave to chart a new course and undertake “corrections” in its leadership and organisational structure. The exercise came at a time when the CPI(M) faces the task of grooming a new generation of leaders and gradually moving the party beyond Vijayan, who has dominated the party’s political landscape since becoming state secretary in 1998.

In its election review, the CPI(M) central committee identified the Vijayan factor as one of the reasons behind the defeat. Referring to the campaign being centred around the current Leader of the Opposition, “A narrative was prevalent that the entire campaign revolved around one person, Vijayan, who led the government with efficiency. By personalising the campaign and centring it around Vijayan, we unwittingly gave an opportunity to the UDF to conduct a targeted campaign against him. Consequently, we have lost the political initiative to expose the reactionary, ruling class bias of the Congress party and the UDF.”

While this hinted at the discontent in CPI(M) circles with the hold Vijayan has over the party, the police probe in the payment scandal has once again placed the veteran leader at the centre of the party’s political and organisational discourses amid the “rectification process”.

When the party conclave was held, the ED had only recommended a vigilance probe against Vijayan under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In his inaugural address at the conclave, party general secretary M A Baby did not mention the central agency and instead alleged that the “party leadership in Keralam is facing the consequences of RSS infiltration in investigating agencies”. A resolution was adopted at the conclave against the ED move, with several senior national leaders of the party rallying behind the former CM.

Indicating that the ED action against Vijayan was going to be a focal point in the party’s political campaign in the coming days, CPI(M)’s mouthpiece Deshabhimani on Tuesday published the state committee’s pamphlet on the alleged payment scam. It alleged the BJP had been targeting the Left party using the ED and that the Congress government in the state was extending all support to the BJP, which, according to the pamphlet, had “usurped” regimes in many states using the central agencies.

The police probe is likely to reinforce Vijayan’s position, making it difficult for the CPI(M) to shift the focus of its politics away from the former CM. Hours after the government’s decision, the CPI(M) organised protest marches in the state capital and district headquarters. The party’s state secretary, M V Govindan, who led the march to the state secretariat, said the government was functioning as the “B team of the BJP”.

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“There is a Modi-ED and VD (Satheesan) alliance. When the BJP is using the central agencies to hunt Opposition parties across the country, the Congress in Keralam has adopted a stand favouring the Sangh Parivar,” he alleged.

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More