Is Kerala witnessing cracks within the CPM ahead of the polls?

The road to the 2026 Kerala assembly elections is shaping up to be a defining political moment not just for the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), but, more crucially, for chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. At stake is more than an electoral victory; it is a referendum on whether the “Pinarayi brand” of governance can withstand anti-incumbency and deliver an unprecedented third straight term in a state historically known for political alternation.