Published Apr 08, 2026 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 08, 2026 | 2:00 PM
The LDF's message appears to revolve almost entirely around the incumbent CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Synopsis: For the UDF and NDA, the campaign material is crowded with familiar faces of national leaders, state leaders and local candidates sharing space on posters and cut-outs. But for the LDF, there is only one face that towers above the rest: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
From Manjeshwar in the north to Parassala in the south, Kerala’s election landscape is dotted with giant flex boards, banners and hoardings as campaigning for the 2026 Assembly polls reached its peak.
Across highways, town centres, village junctions and crowded market streets, political imagery dominates public space.
For the UDF and NDA, the campaign material is crowded with familiar faces of national leaders, state leaders and local candidates sharing space on posters and cut-outs. But for the LDF, there is only one face that towers above the rest: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In many constituencies, even the candidates face is missing from flex boards, appearing only on paper notices.
The LDF’s message appears to revolve almost entirely around the incumbent Chief Minister, who is once again contesting from Dharmadam in Kannur.
The striking absence of any other prominent face has raised a larger political question: If the alliance returns to power, will he continue at the helm? If not Vijayan, then who?
Although the Left party has projected a united front, reports of growing resentment within CPM have gained momentum in recent days. The exit of senior leaders such as G Sudhakaran and TK Govindan, both of whom cited ”favouritism” within the party, has fuelled concerns that the party is moving away from some of its established ideological positions.
However, for party workers and cadres, Vijayan, who will turn 81 in May, remains the leader most capable of steering the party through uncertain times. He is widely credited with holding the party together, navigating internal and external challenges and leading the LDF to two consecutive terms in power.
Speaking to South First, a senior CPI(M) leader said that the Left has always had strong leaders and that Vijayan is no exception. However, the leader cautioned against excessive focus on a single individual.
”Personal praise centred around one leader is risky. That was never part of communism. He now has titles like ‘Captain’ and even the LDF campaign slogan, If Not LDF, Who Else?, is not suitable for the party. It is not apt in a democracy, the leader said.
The leader also pointed out that the exit of senior leaders just ahead of the elections reflects growing unease within the cadre base.
”It shows that the concerns of cadres are not being addressed now” he added.
According to political analyst and senior psephologist G Gopakumar, there is no leadership vacuum within the CPI(M), but many leaders have not been given enough opportunities to emerge. He said the LDF remains united, its leadership is assertive and the party machinery is focused on a common goal through its student wing, youth organisations, trade unions and women’s groups.
He argued that this could also be a deliberate strategy.
The CPI(M) has several potential leaders, but the top leadership is not actively facilitating their growth. Instead, much of the responsibility has been shifted to MLAs, who are expected to prove themselves electorally almost like a “progress card” test.
”At the same time, many Kerala leaders now hold important positions in the CPI(M) at the national level, including in party committees and Parliament, mainly because the party is in power only in Kerala now. However, this does not mean they are detached from Kerala politics. They continue to maintain strong links with the state, knowing that the party has only a limited pool of leaders,” he told South First.
Gopakumar said that projecting Vijayan alone during the campaign is also a major risk for the CPI(M), as every controversy surrounding him could directly affect the party.
At the same time, he suggested that there is a hidden strategy behind it. By projecting Vijayan alone, the CPI(M) is trying to send a message that it alone has a strong and stable leader, unlike the Congress, which is often seen as divided by factionalism.
He also pointed out that one of the strengths of the CPI(M) is that there is relatively less ego clash among leaders. Even if there is dissatisfaction or criticism within the party, it is usually expressed behind closed doors, allowing everyone to continue working towards the same goal.
Despite speculation on social media that KK Shailaja could emerge as a surprise chief ministerial face for the LDF, she dismissed such reports even before the campaign began. Instead, the CPI(M) fielded her from Peravoor, one of the party’s toughest constituencies in Kannur, rather than her sitting seat of Mattannur, where she had won by a record margin of over 60,000 votes in 2021.
Peravoor, however is considered a difficult battleground for the CPI(M), with a sizeable minority population and strong support for KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, who could become a minister if the UDF comes to power.
Shailaja had won from Peravoor in 2006 but lost the seat to Sunny Joseph in 2011.
Critics argued that the party took a major risk by shifting her to Peravoor despite having several safer constituencies in Kannur.
Congress leaders, including Hibi Eden, MP, alleged that the move reflected a lack of opportunities for emerging leaders, pointing to figures such as AN Shamseer being denied candidature.
However, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan defended the decision, saying Shailaja was the only LDF candidate capable of defeating Sunny Joseph in Peravoor.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
