Column

To be or not to be

Santhosh

A s everyone knows, the UDF in Kerala has wiped out the LDF government on 4 May 2026. The UDF won the mandate not only because of the poor performance of the LDF government in the State, but also because of the failure of the BJP who could not field right candidates in all the 140 seats in the assembly elections.

BJP has no genuine right to claim their victory only in three assembly seats because of their efforts alone. The BJP has failed miserably to field right candidates in all the 140 seats. The top brass from the Center visited Kerala prior to the elections, including the Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi, only a handful of BJP faces were available as choice candidates for the upcoming elections. That is one main reason for the BJP to fail here. BJP lost this opportunity to take roots all over Kerala. But it was sheer luck for the BJP to have their single-digit account opened.

The LDF, led by the authoritarian and senile Chief Minister until now, has found their exit because of their two-term miserable performance. The LDF government hurt the public, including the working class, both emotionally and politically. Genuine comrades of the LDF would have stayed with the party if the party did not mislead the public on very sensitive to issues that affected the public. Now the communism in Kerala is evaporated into thin air as their attitude towards the working class became rotten.

What the UDF has in store for Kerala?

The Kerala polity is used to 'either dad or mummy' attitude towards assembly elctions. Kerala has been ruled, misruled and again ruled by either the Communist ministry or the Congress ministry since the formation of the State in 1950. There has never been a third party to play the villain role in elections. The BJP lost this chance to play the 'villain' too now despite their win the three assembly seats. BJP's failure to contest in all the 140 seats made the victory of Congress easy.

UDF got a State that is drained out of its resources, and a polity that is frustrated with the previous LDF governance. Adding to this is the confusion that who will rule Kerala as a Congress Chief Minister. Most MLAs want a ministership. UDF cannot satisfy thier ministers and MLAs during their tenure, leave alone the people of Kerala.