Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is rarely seen as a politician who dumps his ideology for electoral benefits. But now, as the state heads for assembly elections, due in early 2026, his government’s decision to organise a grand global conclave in the name of Lord Ayappa, to whom the revered Sabarimala shrine is dedicated, Vijayan’s ideals stand contested to his detractors.

The first Global Ayyappa Sangamam held at Pampa, the gateway to Sabarimala, on September 20 has been declared by the government as a big success. The event was organised with the support of the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Ezhava-dominated Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDPY). The Opposition Congress and BJP stayed away, dubbing it the ruling CPI(M)’s ploy to woo the state’s Hindu majority in the fa

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