The ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala won a historic second term in office, thanks to its level-headed and scrupulous management of the pandemic and CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s ability to withstand everything that a strident and combined Congress-BJP opposition threw at him. Vijayan’s no-nonsense attitude and ability to take risks earned him the sobriquet ‘captain’, though within his own party it led to some restiveness on what it possibly portended.