HT Explains | Left back in Kerala, but what’s in store?

Kerala has stuck to its habit of alternating between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF governments.In 2011, when the UDF won and formed a govt with a wafer-thin majority of 72-68 members in an Assembly of 140, everyone thought Oommen Chandy's government would fall in six months. But to Chandy's credit he not only completed his term heading a coalition govt that was a constant target of the Opposition but also brought in widespread development throughout the state.With O Rajagopal winning from Nemam, in Thiruvananthapuram, the party has tasted success for the first time in Kerala, and will now be even more vigorous in its pursuit to establish the BJP in the state. One thing to remember here is that in the 2014 general elections, when the Modi wave was at its peak, the BJP did not win a seat in Kerala. So expect the BJP to celebrate this victory and used to its hilt. One of the challenges for the new government will be to prevent clashes between the Left and BJP, or with the UDF, as was seen in the run up to the polls.But before all that....the CPI(M) will have to take the difficult call of whom to name as its CM candidate—both VS and PV are popular leaders in their own right. I'm sure this is the first of many hurdles the Left will have to cross in the next five years.