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The Indian Political League – an India Today special report – breaks down the high-stakes assembly elections in Kerala and Assam. In Kerala, the incumbent Chief Minister, representing the Left Democratic Front, aims for an unprecedented third consecutive term, pivoting from a traditional ideological stance to a corporate governance model.
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00:15hello and welcome you're watching the Indian political league the big power
00:20players and I'm Akshita Nanda Gopal now with voting just days away the
00:25spotlight shifts to two crucial battlegrounds Kerala and Assam where the
00:30stakes go far beyond the borders two states with five big storylines and we
00:35break down exactly that the power players who could define the next chapter
00:39of Indian politics let's begin with God's own country Kerala where this
00:43election is not just about power it's about ideology Pinaray Vijayan remains
00:48the last towering face of the left in India but questions are growing is this
00:53the same left or one adapting to survive after making history with a rare
00:58re-election vision now faces his toughest test yet in a state where ideology
01:03itself is on trial
01:16as the left fights for relevance across India one man carries its biggest hope
01:22Pinaray Vijayan in 2021 he made history becoming the first chief minister in 40
01:29years to win a second consecutive term in Kerala
01:32everybody stop the Maya
01:33part of the day but I'm not going to do it now he's chasing what could be
01:40unprecedented a third straight victory once the CPIM's hardline strongman
01:46which in has recast himself as Kerala's crisis captain and now a CEO style
01:52Administrator his journey began far from power from student politics at
02:02government Brennan College in thalassery to join the communist movement in 1964
02:07vision rose steadily through the ranks as a grassroots cadre during the emergency
02:12he was arrested and tortured in 1977 he made a defining political statement
02:18holding up a blood-stained shirt in the assembly as he recounted custodial abuse a
02:25leader forged in confrontation with authority over decades he consolidated his
02:32political base winning across constituencies before rising to Kerala's
02:36top office a journey built on organizational grip and political endurance but it
02:43was crisis that reshaped his public image from the 2018 floods to go with
02:48and Nipah his daily 6 p.m. briefings became appointment viewing measured
02:54composed and authoritative a shift from rigid idealogue to a steady reassuring
02:59presence today that image has evolved into governance by design
03:05mega infrastructure digital connectivity welfare at scale
03:09which ends model mirrors a corporate playbook focused on efficiency speed and tight
03:15central control a clear departure from the left's traditional resistance to
03:21liberalization it is also what makes him the face of the left survival in India a
03:28leader carrying both its legacy and its future for many perhaps its last towering
03:34figure yeah see PCP me see payment in any new boy in the ideal world in the end now
03:40I'll got up for the water yet a couple of party at the best show Congress and BJP
03:44about your election or do you think a million son Kerala to the land of the
03:48community so you can see the yellow other there and no matter on it
03:52yeah and every column it was a than the work for a lot of the video
03:58Vijayan's political messaging is direct and unsparing
04:02In a striking shift, his sharpest attacks are aimed at Rahul Gandhi
04:06Not the BJP, accusing the Congress of indirectly aiding it
04:10Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi two weeks ago made a statement that
04:14All the opposition-ruled state chief ministers are haunted by central agencies
04:18You're the only chief minister who's not being haunted
04:20And that's because there's an underlying alliance with BJP
04:23How do you respond to that statement?
04:25Rahul Gandhi in the war in the nether
04:28With the BJP, the BJP team in the nether, I brought the year
04:34That's why the BJP team is growing
04:43BJP is growing in Kerala, they've started winning seats in Corporation and Lok Sabha
04:47So are you saying that the BJP's vote share is also increasing because in some places Congress is helping them?
04:53But the BJP's vote are not being defeated
04:57But the BJP has never been defeated
05:03But the BJP's vote is not in the way that the BJP is growing in Kerala
05:15But the BJP's vote is not in the land
05:18I hear that the BJP's vote is no longer as much as the BJP's vote
05:23with growing criticism.
05:35That flash of anger, telling the media to get out, still defines his strange relationship
05:41with the press, even as he attempts a softer outreach this election.
05:46From dropping Kerala's Covid face, KK Shailja, to a sweeping cabinet reset that replaced
05:52all ministers except himself, including the induction of his son-in-law, P.A.
05:57Muhammad Riyas, the moves are seen by some as bold and by others as a way to keep power
06:03tightly controlled.
06:05Critics go further.
06:08They call him Mund Modi, a dhoti-clad version of Narendra Modi pointing to what they describe
06:13as an increasingly centralized and authoritative style.
06:18Allegations of a one-man rule, heavy policing, convoy disruptions and tight administrative
06:23control continue to fuel that perception.
06:27The BJP sensing an opening and a wave of anti-incumbency in a state long dominated by the left and
06:34the
06:34Congress is sharpening its attack.
06:36In the days, Communist and Congress has begun a new propaganda propaganda.
06:48Communist says that Congress is a BJP team.
06:55that it is a VT team.
07:03I mean, LDF or UDF, these people have also accepted that this time, if there is one team,
07:19if there is one team, if there is one team, then it is only BJP.
07:28While the Congress alleges a covert understanding between UDF and BJP.
07:33We are fighting here an election against the LDF, which is fully supported by the BJP.
07:42On one side is the UDF and on the other side is a combination of LDF and BJP.
07:52But here, in the Kerala elections, there is a hidden hand of the BJP.
07:58Vijayan, however, remains dismissive of both.
08:04From a student activist who took on the system to the most powerful face of the left today.
08:09A Vijayan victory could cement his legacy as the left's tallest leader
08:13or deepen the debate on how much control is too much in a democracy.
08:24If this is a test for the left, it's an even bigger one for the Congress.
08:28In Kerala, the party has traditionally been the principal challenger.
08:32But this time, the stakes are existential.
08:35With sharp attacks, even accusations of a covert understanding between rivals,
08:40the Congress is trying to reclaim lost ground
08:42and prove that it's still relevant in India's rapidly shifting political landscape.
08:57It is Congress's southern litmus test.
09:01Allies at centre, Congress and left are facing off in Kerala.
09:07Congress-led UDF has faced two consecutive defeats at the hands of the ruling LTF.
09:14This time, Congress has pinned all hopes on Kerala.
09:19However, it is no cakewalk for the grand old party.
09:23This time, BJP has made inroads in Kerala local body polls,
09:28making a significant dent, winning one corporation election and two municipalities.
09:37BJP has been silently dismantling the two-front system that has run Kerala for five decades.
09:46Meanwhile, the arch-rivals have been accusing each other of working for the Saffron Party.
09:52Much to the embarrassment of carders.
09:55Congress-led UDF and LDF are exchanging sharp bumps.
10:01Kerala CM Pinaray Vijayan accused Rahul Gandhi of directly helping BJP by acting as their B-team.
10:28The remarks have triggered a major political draw, intensifying the ongoing war of words.
10:35Congress hit back and called the comment pathetic.
10:39The leader who is completely attacking Aranda Modi's failure is Rahul Gandhi.
10:44You people only reported all these things. This is nothing new for us.
10:49Now Pinaray Vijayan came with a new invention.
10:53That Rahul Gandhi is the B-team of BJP.
10:57I have only sympathy with Pinaray Vijayan.
11:00As the polling day comes closer, Gandhi's and Congress heavyweights are in the battlefield to woo voters.
11:09For the first time, we are seeing that there is a partnership between the BJP and the left front.
11:19Normally, this would be quite surprising that a left party is allying with the extreme right party.
11:33This assembly election is a massive battle for Congress to reclaim its bastion.
11:39It's the biggest opportunity to register a major victory and re-establish its authority in South India.
11:47Congress seems confident of winning over 100 seats out of 140.
11:53There is a huge level of anti-incumbency among the people.
11:58We already have hope that we will come back with 100 plus seats.
12:06But is Congress really prepared for this mammoth battle as it seems failing to keep the state unit intact?
12:14Chinks in the armour are visible.
12:18Power equations between groups led by KC Venugopal, BD Satishan and Ramesh Shinitala and others have created visible cracks.
12:28Ticket distribution and denial of coveted seats have left loyalists of senior leaders miffed.
12:36It is an acid test for Congress, but can a not-so-united party put up a fight against incumbent
12:43LDF government
12:44and BJP juggernaut itching to paint the state's saffron?
12:49This election in God's own country will decide not just Kerala's next government,
12:54but also the Congress party's future trajectory.
12:58With Karan Singh, Bureau Report, India Today.
13:04And then there's the BJP.
13:06Still a marginal player in Kerala, but one with growing ambition.
13:09These elections are crucial to test whether the party can actually break through in the South,
13:15expanding beyond its traditional strongholds,
13:18and then turn ideological presence into electoral success in a state long resistant to saffron politics.
13:34Kerala, a state long dominated by the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front,
13:40has historically left little room for a third force.
14:03The Bhartya Janta Party, after decades of patient groundwork and bolstered by the strong RSS presence in the state,
14:10is now emerging as a force to reckon with.
14:13The BJP's journey in Kerala spans over four decades.
14:18For years, turning grassroots presence into electoral wins was a steep challenge.
14:25The party's vote share steadily climbed from 10.6% in 2016 to 11.4% in 2021 in assembly
14:34polls.
14:36O. Raja Gopal won Neymam assembly seat in 2016, becoming the first party MLA in the state, but setbacks followed.
14:45The BJP lost Neymam in 2021.
14:49In Lok Sabha, the BJP's vote share grew steadily, but no seats were won until 2024,
14:55when Suresh Gopi captured Trishur and entered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
15:01I, Suresh Gopi, do swear in the name of God that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
15:12Constitution of India as by law established.
15:18Credit also goes to Prime Minister Modi's outreach, from temple trails to coastal connects and development.
15:33The 2025 Thiruvananth Puram Civic Poll victories boosted morale.
15:37The BJP won 50 awards, itself a record success for the party, signaling party's growing ability to translate local campaigns
15:47into tangible wins.
15:49The BJP ended the CPM's four-decade rule in the city corporation.
16:13The BJP's rise is a story of persistence, strategy and ambition.
16:19As voters prepare for the 2026 assembly polls, the question remains, can Saffron truly break the duopoly?
16:35With Bureau inputs, Anjali Pandey for India Today.
16:43From Kerala, we move to a completely different battleground, Assam.
16:48From Congress insider to BJP's chief strategist, Himanta Biswas Sarma has become the party's ultimate problem solver.
16:55As chief minister, he's not just defending power, he's redefining BJP's playbook in the region, with confidence of a sweeping
17:03win.
17:04And this election will test whether his polarizing model actually can face off against anti-incumbency.
17:21For over a decade, Himanta Biswas Sarma was one of the most powerful faces of the Congress in Assam.
17:28At one point, a key aide of former chief minister, Tarun Gugui, handling heavyweight portfolios and seen as a future
17:35chief minister face.
17:37But 2014 became the turning point, a growing rift within the Congress party, and a crucial meeting with Rahul Gandhi
17:45in Delhi.
17:47Himanta Sarma has often recounted that meeting, claiming that Rahul Gandhi was not interested, allegedly continuing to play with his
17:54pet dog during the interaction.
17:56A moment Sarma describes as symbolic of the Congress leadership's disconnect.
18:03Soon after, the fallout with the Congress leadership reached a point of no return.
18:08On 21st July 2014, Sarma resigned from all positions, and within a year, he made his move.
18:21In 2015, Himanta joined the BGP, at the residence of Home Minister Amit Shah, a political shift that would alter
18:29the course of Assam's politics.
18:34Almost immediately, he was handed a critical role, as convener of the BGP's election management committee for the 2016 Assam
18:43Ports.
18:48The result, a historic victory.
18:51The BGP formed its first-ever government in Assam under Sarwananda Sonawar.
18:58And Himanta emerged as the key strategist behind the win.
19:06But his journey has not been without controversy. Known for his sharp and often polarizing remarks,
19:14Himanta Sarma has repeatedly sparked debates with his comments on identity, immigration, and religion.
19:30Supports, statements that have drawn criticism from the opposition, but also help consolidate the BGP's core support base in the
19:37region.
20:03Today, he is seen as the BGP's principal architect in the Northeast.
20:06Expanding the party's footprint across states, and turning what was once a Congress stronghold into BGP territory.
20:19From a Congress bar center to the BGP's Chanakya in the Northeast, Himanta Biswasarma's journey is as political as it
20:26is personal.
20:27And as Assam votes in 2026, the spotlight is firmly on the man who switched sides and changed the game.
20:36With Kostamani Vaisha, your report, India Today.
20:44Leading the challenge against Himanta is a familiar name, but a new face.
20:48Gaurav Gogoi is pitching himself as the future of Congress in Assam.
20:52Invoking legacy, while promising change.
20:55With talks of an undercurrent against the BGP, this election could decide whether the next Gogoi can truly revive the
21:01party,
21:01or remain as always a work in progress.
21:10Sons who step into the path of their fathers must carry both the burden and the blessing of their name.
21:18This quote from an anonymous writer is best suited for Gaurav Gogoi.
21:25Rahul's trusted lieutenant, a Gandhi loyalist, deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Assam Congress chief.
21:34These are a few ways to describe Gaurav Gogoi.
21:38But also stands the fact that he is the only son of late Tarun Gogoi, the longest serving chief minister
21:47of Assam.
21:49I've learnt a lot of my values from my father, and I've learnt a lot about the Congress party.
21:57I learnt a lot about Assam from him.
22:00And I try to be a modern, younger version of him.
22:04Born on September 4th, 1982, Gaurav completed his higher education in Delhi and the United States.
22:11Obtaining a B-Tech in Electronics and a master's degree from New York University.
22:18It was in 2013 when young Gaurav married UK-born Elizabeth Kolban.
22:23A year later, he began his political journey after joining the grand old party.
22:29He entered the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate for the coveted Kalyabor seat in Assam.
22:41A key highlight of his political campaign was his own star campaigner, his Britain-born wife,
22:48who learned Assamese and used her language skills while asking voters to vote for her husband.
22:56She was often seen in a saree alongside him during the campaign trails,
23:00and even stole the spotlight from him in multiple occasions.
23:11For sure, there's some sort of tension and nervousness there.
23:14I think if you reflect back, you know, we had such a positive reaction from everybody that we've met
23:19and that Gaurav has spent so much time here that we can be confident but still nervous.
23:24I'm quite nervous. This is my first election. I was quite confident till yesterday.
23:29But as soon as the campaigning got over, I'm no longer on the field.
23:32So I feel a bit out of control. I don't know what's going on.
23:36And, well, wish for the best. I think I've really put in a positive and a good effort.
23:41The Gogoi scion lost the seat his father had won three times, but managed to secure a by-election later
23:49that year.
23:50There was no looking back for Gaurav after that, as he continued to cement his place in the party.
23:57The Congress was already on the decline.
24:01After losing power at the centre in 2014, it lost power in Assam after a long run in 2016.
24:07And Tarun Gogoi was ousted from power by the BJP juggernaut.
24:13Gaurav continued to work at the centre alongside his party leadership,
24:17making a name for himself and outgrowing his father's shadow.
24:24And he managed to retain his seat in the 2019 polls, even as Congress failed to impress voters nationwide.
24:31The grand old party reposed its trust in him.
24:35And in 2020, he became the deputy leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha,
24:39reflecting his growing stature at the national level.
24:46But the same year brought a big blow to Gaurav.
24:49As his father and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi passed away at the age of 84,
24:54due to multiple organ failure.
24:57The grieving son bid farewell to his father.
25:01A year later, a former party colleague and a minister in his father's cabinet,
25:06took the oath and became one of his strongest critiques.
25:19The
25:32Soon after taking over from Sarbananda Sanoval, Himanta became more aggressive towards the
25:38Congress, towards Gaurav Gogoi and toward his wife.
25:42The Assam chief minister leveled the strongest of allegations against Gaurav and his wife
25:47and linked them to Pakistan.
26:03This was probably the biggest allegation Gaurav has faced in his entire political journey.
26:10But the Congress leader gave it back to the Assam chief minister in the same tone.
26:31Gaurav is now facing his biggest political challenge, ousting the BJP from power in the
26:37upcoming Assam polls.
26:40And amid this crucial battle, several from his own side are flocking to the other camp.
26:47But Gogoi remains confident.
26:52But can Gaurav Gogoi then rescue Congress in Assam?
26:57The answer will come on May 4th.
27:01With Yash Dvivedi, Bureau Report, India Today.
27:11And that's the big picture from Kerala and Assam.
27:14Two states, but one larger story of shifting ideologies, of rising ambitions and of political
27:21survival.
27:22Every party, every leader that we track, we will know ultimately the answer on May 4th.
27:28Who's the people speak?
27:29April 9th is the polling.
27:31May 4th is the result day.
27:33And the political map will be reshaped based on the verdict in these two states.
27:38We will of course get you all the live updates from Kerala, from Assam and the other poll-bound
27:44states.
27:44But that's it from me in this special broadcast.
27:46Thanks very much for tuning in.
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