Final pitch, star power vs narrative reset as Kerala poll campaign enters last stage

Thiruvananthapuram, April 4
With just days to go before April 9, when over 2.71 crore voters will decide Kerala’s political future, the campaign has entered a decisive, high-voltage phase marked by contrasting strategies, shifting optics and a late scramble to control the narrative.

The Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA are clearly betting on star power to deliver a final surge.

The presence of national figures like Congress's Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kerala on the same day underscores the importance both fronts attach to the closing stretch.

Their campaigns are calibrated to energise cadres, consolidate floating voters and inject momentum into what has otherwise been a tightly contested electoral battle.

In contrast, the CPI-M-led LDF appears to be executing a more nuanced and, perhaps, defensive endgame.

The absence of its national figurehead Sitaram Yechury has altered the optics, placing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the centre of the campaign more than ever before.

What stands out, however, is not just his centrality but the manner in which he has recalibrated his public engagement.

For a leader known to maintain a deliberate distance from the media, Vijayan’s sudden openness over the past two weeks marks a significant tactical shift.

By engaging extensively with multiple media platforms, he appears to be attempting a narrative reset, softening a long-perceived image of inaccessibility and projecting a more responsive leadership style.

This pivot, however, has not gone uncontested.

A social media post from a handle close to the Chief Minister’s media apparatus pushes back against allegations that these interviews are part of a coordinated PR exercise.

By challenging journalists to disclose any undue influence or scripting, the message seeks to reframe the discourse, not as image management, but as transparent communication.

The divergence in strategies is telling.

While the Congress and the BJP bank on charisma and crowd-pulling national figures to create a wave, the incumbent is focused on recalibrating perception and defending its record through controlled visibility.

As Kerala heads into the final hours of campaigning, the question is whether star power will outweigh narrative control or whether a carefully managed image reset can blunt the opposition’s momentum.

The answer will unfold on April 9, when the electorate delivers its verdict.