The new leadership will have to fortify their organisation to booth level and regain public confidence. Time will say if Mullappally Ramachandran can usher in an era of unity and reposition the party as the only alternative in Kerala politics.
It's tough to slot him in the pantheon of Malayalam movie stars. But the hulking figure of Captain Raju, always likeable, added an indispensable value to his films.
It would be premature to read too much into his support for NDA Presidential candidate Ramnath Kovind but as the Lalu family is facing trouble from the law, he is doing the smart thing to keep all options open.