Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 29: Just weeks after Kerala went to the polls on April 9, two significant developments have raised questions about the ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) key campaign assurances of uninterrupted power supply and stable prices.

For the first time in recent years, the state has introduced regulated power cuts, with half-hour load shedding coming into effect from Tuesday. Shortly thereafter, the board of the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma) decided to increase milk prices from Rs 52 to Rs 56 per litre. The proposal is set to be formally conveyed to the government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

These back-to-back decisions have sparked political debate, as both uninterrupted electricity and controlled prices of essential goods were central to the LDF’s election narrative. Under Vijayan’s leadership, the alliance had projected its governance as a model of efficiency, even expressing confidence in securing a third consecutive term.

The absence of power cuts and relative price stability had been highlighted repeatedly during the campaign as evidence of effective administration. The sudden reversal of these conditions, occurring before the election results scheduled for Monday, has therefore taken on added political significance.

Milma, established in 1980 under Operation Flood, represents one of Kerala’s most prominent cooperative success stories. With a network of over 10.6 lakh dairy farmers across more than 3,100 societies and operations spanning regional unions in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Malabar, it plays a crucial role in the state’s dairy sector. Any revision in its pricing typically carries wider economic implications.

As the Model Code of Conduct remains in place until May 6, Milma is expected to seek clearance from the Election Commission of India before implementing the price hike. Officials have indicated that rising input costs necessitated the decision, though the timing has drawn scrutiny.

For voters, these developments present a contrast to the promises made during the campaign. Whether they will impact public perception of the government’s performance remains uncertain, but they have undeniably added a new layer of complexity to Kerala’s closely contested political landscape.