India, April 8 -- Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan spoke to HT about his 10-year-old administration's governance record, allegations of secret deals with the BJP, the future of the Left parties in India and his assessment of the growth of the BJP in Kerala.

Edited excerpts:

What exists in Kerala is not anti-incumbency sentiment, but rather a very strong pro-incumbency wave. The LDF government rescued Kerala from the developmental stagnation and corruption of the previous UDF regime. We turned impossible mega-projects into reality: the National Highway development, Vizhinjam Seaport, the GAIL pipeline, the Kochi Water Metro, and K-FON are standing testaments to this. Through the LIFE Mission, we provided secure homes to over 500,00...