State scan: Now the past looks happier for Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

After being exculpated in a corruption case by the Kerala HC, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emerges stronger in both govt and the CPI(M)

Even after becoming chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan was facing fire and brimstone from his critics and opponents within the party, the CPI(M), over corruption allegations relating to the SNC-Lavalin deal of the late 1990s.

Each time Vijayan reached a political milestone, the Lavalin case turned up like a bad penny to torment him. Drawing curtains to the two-decade-old allegations, the Kerala High Court on August 23 acquitted him and two others in the matter. Many say this has made him stronger both in the party and the government. 

This is the first time in the history of the CPI(M) that a politburo member has been involved in corruption-related prosecution.

“Normally, in the CPI(M), it is the party secretary who is stronger than the chief minister. But for the first time, someone is running both the party and the government. His position as the undisputed leader of the party in the state has been cemented with the Lavalin verdict,” said Sunnykutty Abraham, a senior political analyst in Kerala.

Vijayan, along with some others in the case, was accused of awarding a contract for the modernisation of the Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniar hydroelectric projects to Canada-based SNC-Lavalin at high rates, causing a loss of Rs 374.50 crore to the state. 

A CAG report also highlighted that Lavalin was only a consultant intermediary and not the original equipment manufacturer and the deal led to a loss to the exchequer. Though a CBI Special Court discharged Vijayan in November 2013, the high court case was causing him concern.

His political rival and former chief minister, VS Achuthanandan, often brought up the Lavlin case to put him on the backfoot. “Achuthanandan is finished, there is no question of his coming back. But the fact is that there is also no close number two in the party,” Abraham added. However, political experts say the Lavalin verdict has given Vijayan more heft than what party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has.

“Vijayan might have emerged stronger, but his style of working is not different from that of Narendra Modi at the Centre. He has taken no action against companies that are illegally occupying land. In violation of Left ideals, Vijayan supports the liquor mafia. From 25 bars in the state in August last year, the state has 230 bars open and working now,” alleged veteran Congress leader VM Sudheeran.

Though Vijayan became stronger politically, his inability to manage the state police is in the news, particularly when the BJP is involved. According to media reports, since February, 10 BJP workers and four of the CPI(M) died in political clashes. 

“Vijayan’s police are acting in a partisan manner, with law and order in the state reaching an all-time low. A lot of BJP activists are being attacked and the government is a failure in protecting the citizens,” said BJP State General Secretary K Surendran. He hopes the CBI will appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict on Lavalin. 

The government, which promised a corruption-free environment, has seen a minister, EP Jayarajan, resigning over charges of nepotism, while another minister, A K Saseendran, had to go after allegations of misconduct with a woman by him surfaced. “Now, a third minister, Thomas Chandy, is facing the heat over land-grabbing charges. A lot of custodial deaths are happening, specially of Dalits, since he took charge. This is not a communist but a feudal-capitalist government,” Sudheeran said.

With the legal breather and the High Court stating that the “CBI wrongly picked and chose Pinarayi Vijayan without any material in the case,” Vijayan is for the time being the undisputed king over the party and government in Kerala.