New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday predicted that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
Aiyar was speaking at the international seminar titled ‘Vision 2031: Development and Democracy’, currently underway in Thiruvananthapuram.
The seminar was inaugurated by Vijayan himself.
During his address, Aiyar described Kerala as India’s leading State in implementing Panchayati Raj in practice. Referring to a 1931 remark by Mahatma Gandhi, he said Gandhi had envisioned an India where the poorest would feel they had an effective voice in nation-building.
Aiyar noted that Kerala, despite being governed by a Marxist party, has made significant progress toward that Gandhian vision of grassroots democracy.
He also recalled the contributions of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions across the country. While praising Kerala’s performance in practice, he observed that the state ranks second in terms of legislative framework.
Calling for reforms, Aiyar urged the Kerala government to amend its Panchayati Raj law based on expert recommendations and past committee reports to further strengthen decentralised governance.
CPI-M MP from Kerala John Brittas shared Aiyar’s speech on X: “I’m afraid there is no champion for Panchayati Raj left in the country. So therefore, I have to fall at your feet, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and say, please, sir, pick up the baton that the Congress has dropped. Thank you, and may Kerala prosper.”
