IN the presence of thousands of LDF supporters and a galaxy of national leaders from various parties, the 19 member LDF government led by CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan has been sworn in at the public function held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on May 25. At 4 pm, Pinarayi Vijayan, who won from Dharmadom constituency in Kannur took oath as the chief minister. Home, vigilance and information portfolios will be looked after by the chief minister. Governor P Sathasivam administered the oath.  

After Pinarayi Vijayan, the representatives from LDF constituents, E Chandrashekharan (CPI), Mathew T Thomas (JDS), A K Saseendran (NCP), Ramachandran Kadannappalli (Congress S) took oath.  After this, the governor invited the ministers in an alphabetical order, to take oath. CPI(M) Central Committee members, EP Jayarajan, Dr TM Thomas Isaac, AK Balan, KK Shailaja; state committee members G Sudhakaran,  Kadakampalli Surendran, Mercy Kutti Amma, A C Moideen, T P Ramakrishnan and Pudukkad; area committee member C Raveendranath are CPI(M) ministers who took oath. CPI(M) backed independent Dr KT Jaleel was also sworn in. E Chandrashekharan, K Raju, Thilothaman, VS Sunilkumar are the CPI ministers who took oath.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat, veteran leader and former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Rajya Sabha vice chairman PJ Kurien,  former chief minister Oommen Chandy, BJP leader O Rajagopal, MLA were among the dignitaries who attended the function. Eminent film stars Mammootti and Dileep, director Ranjith, singer G Venugopal were among the persons from the cultural arena who attended the programme.

On May 24, the ministers from CPI(M) and CPI paid homage to the martyrs at Vayalar and Punnapra. Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers met former CPI(M) leader KR Gauriamma. Pinarayi Vijayan celebrated his 71st birthday at Gouriamma’s residence.

On May 25 morning, VS Achuthanandan in his facebook post, conveyed his greetings to Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues and expressed hope that the government will build a prosperous Kerala with people’s support.

LDF’s decision to restrict the number of ministers to 19 is hailed by the people and the media. UDF government had 21 ministers.

Ministers and Portfolios

Thomas Isaac - finance

E P Jayarajan - industries and sports

A K Balan- culture, law, SC/ST development

K K Shailaja- health

G Sudhakaran- public works department

C Raveendranathan- education

A C Moideen- tourism, co-operation

T P Ramakrishnan- excise, labour

Kadakampalli Surendran- electricity, devaswam

Mercy Kutti Amma - fisheries, traditional industries

K T Jaleel - local self government

E Chandrashekharan-revenue

V S Sunilkumar-agriculture

Thilothaman- food and civil supplies

K Raju- forest

Mathew T Thomas- water resources

A K Saseendran – transport

Kadannappali Ramachandran- port

Pinarayi Vijayan

A LEADER who steered the CPI(M) in the turbulent years is leading the state government. CPI(M) state committee had unanimously elected CPI(M) Polit Bureau  member Pinarayi Vijayan who got elected from Dharmadom in the recently concluded Kerala assembly elections as the legislature party leader of the Party and the leader of the LDF.

The decision of the state committee was formally announced by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury at a press conference on May 20 evening in AKG Centre, the head quarters of CPI(M) in Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier, CPI(M) state secretariat was convened and it proposed Pinarayi’s name as the new leader. Apart from Yechury, Polit Bureau members Prakash Karat and MA Baby too attended the state secretariat and state committee meetings.

72-year-old Pinarayi Vijayan proved his mettle as an able administrator during his short stint as power minister in the LDF ministry headed by late EK Nayanar during the period 1996-1998.  During his tenure, the state witnessed a giant leap in power generation and distribution capacities due to the productive measures taken by him as a minister.

After the death of CPI(M) state secretary Chadayan Govindan, Pinarayi quit the ministerial post and became the state secretary of CPI(M)  in 1998 and served in the same post till the state conference held at Alappuzha in 2015. A man of few words, he proved his organisational capabilities in the state during this period.

During the whole tenure as the state secretary of Party he was the victim of a concocted and orchestrated attack by the opposition party and the mainstream media as well. A bogus case was registered against him in the name of a deal with Lavalin, a Canadian company and the CBI hunted him as part of political vendetta. But the CBI special court struck down all charges and exonerated him.

Vijayan was born on March 21, 1944 to Mundayil Koran who was a toddy tapper and Kalyani in Pinarayi in Kannur district, the place where the Communist movement in Kerala began.

He became the Kannur district secretary of the Kerala Students’ Federation while studying for BA (Economics) in Brennen College in Thalassery and also worked as a handloom weaver after his schooling for a year before being able to continue his higher studies.

                He went on to become its state secretary and, later, state president of the KSF. In 1968, at the age of 24, Vijayan became a member of the Kannur district committee of the CPI(M). Two years later, he became an MLA from Koothuparamba at the age of 26. Vijayan was elected to the state legislative assembly three times later in 1977, 1991 and 1996. He rose to prominence when he won in 1977 and again in 1991 from the same constituency. He became the CPI(M) Kannur district secretary in 1978.

Vijayan, who took part in various agitations, was subjected to torture during the Emergency and during earlier agitations. He once recalled that six policemen continuously beat him on the night of September 28, 1975 till he fainted in the lockup.

                After his release, he came to the assembly and made a powerful speech holding up the blood-stained shirt he wore during the assault on him in the police lock-up.

                His speech attacking then home minister and senior Congress leader late K Karunakaran was considered to be a glorious chapter in the legislative records.