In the first 100 days of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala, pluses outweigh minuses at a practical level but hints of its direction are still elusive as it is currently tasked with combating the high rise in COVID-19 cases.
However, the Left-led government, unlike the previous regimes, did not have the benefit of a honeymoon phase for multiple reasons. A solid perception is that the present Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is the continuity of the previous Left-led rule as well as the onslaught of media proliferation.
Despite some issues rocking the government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues to enjoy his Teflon image across Kerala. The illegal felling of centuries-old rosewood trees in Muttil South village in Wayanad had turned into a political controversy a month after the Pinarayi Cabinet 2.0 assumed charge. But now the Kerala High Court’s order declining a CBI probe into the cutting of reserved trees on assigned land has given a major relief for the government.
At present, Kerala reels under an unprecedented coronavirus crisis apart from the severe blow to the economy. The consistently high number of COVID-19 cases also triggered concerns of a potential third wave in the State. However, the impressive vaccination numbers (2,2,15,64,603 of first dose; 79,78,978 of second dose and 2,95,43,581 total doses as on September 4) will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic in the long run.
Perhaps, the favourable tailwinds in generating revenue through the Goods and Services Tax system will certainly benefit the State.
Even as the government is entirely focussing on managing the COVID-19 situation, it has put on the front burner big-ticket projects such as the ambitious Thiruvananthapuram – Kasaragod Semi High-Speed Rail (SilverLine) Project that is expected to ease the transport between north and south ends of the State.
The commissioning of the GAIL natural gas pipeline by overcoming legal hurdles and protests showed that the LDF government under the imprimatur of Mr. Vijayan is determined to take up challenging projects in the future as well.
Also, Mr. Vijayan has been able to reduce the rising Centre-State friction after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi in July. The cordial and friendly meeting he had with Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Nitin Gadkari, and Ashwini Vaishnaw has given the government confidence to go ahead with major projects.
Politically, the Left government appears to be firmly in the saddle unlike the internal conflicts plaguing the main Opposition parties including the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League and the BJP.
