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Pinarayi Vijayan (; born 24 May 1945) is an Indian
Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
politician who is the current
Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...
, serving since 25 May 2016. A member of the
Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Politburo or Polit Bureau is the highest body of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The members of the Politburo are elected by the Central Committee in the immediate aftermath of a National Party Congress, which is held every three years ...
, he is the longest-serving secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the
CPI(M) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the na ...
(1998–2015). He also served in the government of Kerala as Minister of Electric Power and Co-operatives from 1996 to 1998. Vijayan won a seat in the May 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election as the CPI(M) candidate for
Dharmadom Dharmadom or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. This town is located in between Anjarakandi River and Ummanchira river, and Palayad town and Arabian sea. It is known for the 100-yea ...
constituency and was selected as the leader of the
Left Democratic Front The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the oth ...
(LDF) and became the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala.Pinarayi Vijayan, 72, Will Be Kerala Chief Minister, Not Achuthanandan, 92
/ref>Pinarayi Vijayan to be next chief minister of Kerala
/ref> He is the first chief minister from Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full term (five years) in office.


Personal life and education

Vijayan was born on 24 May 1945 in
Pinarayi Pinarayi is a census town in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Geography Pinarayi is from the district headquarters Kannur. The nearest town and railway station is Thalassery which is away. The village is surrounded by rivers ...
,
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, as the youngest son of Koran and Kalyani. He had 14 siblings of whom only three survived. After graduating from school, he worked as a
handloom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but t ...
weaver for a year before joining for a pre-university course in the
Government Brennen College, Thalassery Brennen College is an educational institution in Kerala, affiliated to the Kannur University. It is located in Dharmadam, Thalassery of Kerala state, India. The college evolved from a school established by the English philanthropist Edward Br ...
. Subsequently, he earned B.A. Economics degree from the same college. He is married to Kamala Vijayan and has two children. His wife is a retired teacher.


Political career

Pinarayi Vijayan entered politics through student union activities at
Government Brennen College, Thalassery Brennen College is an educational institution in Kerala, affiliated to the Kannur University. It is located in Dharmadam, Thalassery of Kerala state, India. The college evolved from a school established by the English philanthropist Edward Br ...
. He eventually joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1964. Vijayan became Kannur district secretary of the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), which later became the
Students Federation of India The Students' Federation of India (abbreviated as SFI) is an Indian left-wing student organisation politically aligned to the ideologies of Independence, Democracy and Socialism. Currently, V. P. Sanu and Mayukh Biswas are elected as the All I ...
(SFI). He went on to become the state secretary and subsequently the state president of KSF. He then moved on to Kerala State Youth Federation (KSYF), which later became the
Democratic Youth Federation of India Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) is a youth organisation in India. It was founded in its inaugural conference held from 1–3 November 1980 at Shaheed Kartar Singh Saraba village in Ludhiana, Punjab. DYFI identifies itself to be an i ...
(DYFI). He became the president of the state committee. During that period, when communists in Kerala were organising the political activities from different hide-outs, Pinarayi Vijayan was imprisoned for one and a half years. Later, he was elected as the president of the Kerala state co-operative bank. During the emergency, he was arrested and tortured by police. He became the
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
district secretary of the CPI(M) when M.V. Raghavan left the party over the 'alternative document' row. Within three years, he became a member of the State Secretariat. He was elected to the Assembly in 1970, 1977 and 1991 from
Kuthuparamba Kuthuparamba is a town and a municipality in the Kannur district, state of Kerala, India. It is about 24 km south east of Kannur and 14 km east of Thalassery. History Kuthuparamba was part of Kottayam dynasty under the reign of P ...
, in 1996 from
Payyanur Payyanur, , is a municipal town and a taluk, a sub-district administrative unit, in the Kannur district of Kerala, India. On 10 March 2018, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated Payyanur as the fifth taluk in the district. Payyan ...
and in 2016 from
Dharmadom Dharmadom or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. This town is located in between Anjarakandi River and Ummanchira river, and Palayad town and Arabian sea. It is known for the 100-yea ...
. He was the Minister for Electric power and Co-operatives in the E.K. Nayanar ministry from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, he became the state secretary of the CPI(M), following the death of the incumbent
Chadayan Govindan Chadayan Govindan (12 May 1929, Kambil in Kannur district – 9 September 1998) was a Communist politician and a former minister of Kerala, South India. He was the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) ...
. He was elected to the Politburo of the CPI(M) in 2002. On 26 May 2007 the CPI(M) suspended Pinarayi Vijayan and
V. S. Achuthanandan Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923) is an Indian Communist politician who was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. At 82, he is the oldest person to have assumed the office. He served as the chairman of Admin ...
from the Politburo for their public remarks on each other. Pinarayi was reinstated into the Politburo later.


Assembly election candidature history


Positions held

* State president and secretary of Kerala Student's Federation and president of Kerala State Youth Federation. * President of Kerala State Co-operative Bank * Elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970, 1977, 1991, 1996 ,2016 and 2021. * Minister in Kerala government between 1996 and 1998. * Secretary of the Kerala state committee of the
CPI(M) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the na ...
between 1998 and 2015. * Member of the
CPI(M) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the na ...
politburo from 2002. *
Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...
from 25 May 2016. * Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala for the second time in a row on 20 May 2021.


Chief Minister

Following the 2016 Legislative Assembly election, Pinarayi Vijayan became the
Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...
. The swearing-in ceremony of his
Left Democratic Front The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the oth ...
ministry with 19-member cabinet was held on 25 May 2016. Vijayan held the charge of Home Affairs & Vigilance Departments along with the other portfolios normally held by the Chief Ministers, and not mentioned elsewhere. He is elected from Dharmadom constituency.


Main achievements

* In first of its kind in India, the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry introduced a yearly Progress Report to mark accountability and transparency of the ruling front. The report contained the evaluation and performance of the ministry with respect to the promises in the election manifesto released by
Left Democratic Front The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the oth ...
. His ministry made history by keeping 570 of 600 poll promises mentioned in the election manifesto by December 2020. * His ministry introduced four missions for building Nava Keralam, a project expected to have a transformational effect on Kerala in the long run. The missions include LIFE Mission, a project to solve the problems of all categories of people including the homeless and landless and those who could not complete their house construction after starting it. It completed more than 2 lakh homes for the homeless. The Ardram Mission aimed at a total overhaul of the public health sector making it people friendly, affordable for the poorest, and a means to provide substantial state of the art infrastructure facilities. It extended super specialty facilities that was earlier limited to medical colleges, to district and taluk hospitals as well. The Haritha Keralam Mission was a comprehensive project implemented to clear and remove waste from all the water bodies in Kerala; ponds, rivers, lakes and streams. The mission was a participatory program on the lines of literacy mission, democratic decentralization and people's planning and it involved the removal of solid waste, removal of waste water and measures to increase the area of land under cultivation are being undertaken under this project. The Education Mission, proposed comprehensive educational reforms including upgrading one thousand government schools into international standards during the first phase and steadily improved the infrastructure for the education in Kerala. Kerala thereafter became the first fully digital state in the country in the field of public education, with the completion of the ‘hi-tech classroom and hi-tech lab’ projects in government-owned schools. *His ministry offered 1,03,361 title deeds for landless people, found 22,000 hectares for additional paddy cultivation, restored 17182  square kilometers of water bodies, distributed 8,500,000 free Handloom School Uniforms, built 45,000 high tech classrooms, ensured 341,293 new student enrollment in public schools and enlarged 5,000,000 sq.ft. as a newly built-up area for Information Technology. * Kerala became the first state in India to provide employment reservation in rail network (Kochi Metro) for transgender people. His ministry also provided reservation for transgender students pursuing degrees in the Arts and Sciences in graduation and post graduation. * For the first time in India, an all-woman police squad called Pink Patrol was introduced in Kerala to ascertain the security of women and children in public places. * His tenure saw Kerala becoming first fully electrified State and fully open-defecation-free State in India. The 'filament free state', a project to bring in affordable LED bulbs in all households in Kerala also received good public attention . *He launched
Kerala Bank Kerala State Co-operative Bank Limited, branded as Kerala Bank, is a co-operative bank set up by the Government of Kerala, India. History The bank was established in 2019 by amalgamating 13 District co-operative banks in Kerala with the Ker ...
and Kerala Administrative Service. *He completed Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, GAIL Pipeline project. *Kerala ranked as Best Governed State by Public Affairs Index, Excellence Award 2017 of Cops Today International. *Pinarayi Vijayan earned the title Crisis Manager, after handling Cyclone Ockhi in 2017, Nipah outbreak in 2018, two Kerala Floods in 2018 and 2019 and Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.


Awards and honours

* Pinarayi Vijayan was awarded Gandhidarshan award for best chief minister in 2018 *The
Institute of Human Virology The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1807, it comprises some of the oldest professional schools of dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, social work and nursing in the United States ...
honoured Pinarayi Vijayan for effective control of 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Noted bio-medical scientist and co-founder of the institute
Robert Gallo Robert Charles Gallo (; born March 23, 1937) is an American biomedical researcher. He is best known for his role in establishing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the infectious agent responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome ...
presented awards to the Chief Minister and the Health Minister of Kerala.


Controversies

Pinarayi Vijayan was one among the accused in Kerala's first political murder case, of that of Vadikkal Ramakrishnan who was killed by an axe on 28 April 1969. Though the court acquitted all the accused of lack of evidence, this has been used by various political opponents to portray the violent nature of CPI(M)-RSS conflicts in Kannur which has taken more than 200 lives of supporters from both factions. The SNC Lavalin controversy in Kerala was a major allegation that rocked Kerala politics. The
Comptroller and Auditor General of India The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the supreme audit institution of India, established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India. They are empowered to audit all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the ...
report had stated that the deal Vijayan had struck as electricity minister in 1998 with Lavalin, a Canadian firm, for the repair of three generators, had cost the state exchequer a staggering Rs 375 crores. On 16 January 2007, Kerala High Court ordered a CBI enquiry into the SNC Lavalin case. There are also reports that the CAG did not report any losses to state exchequer, but that the project did not yield commensurate gains. Pinarayi Vijayan had been named as the 9th accused in the case by CBI. CPI(M) backed Pinarayi saying that the CBI move was "politically motivated". Party viewed the implication of Pinarayi in the case is to settle scores with the CPM after the party withdrew its support to the UPA government. The CPM led Kerala Government decided not to let Vijayan to be prosecuted in the case. Over-ruling the cabinet recommendation, the Governor allowed CBI to prosecute Vijayan. Though CPI(M) called Governor's move un-constitutional, then Kerala Chief Minister
V.S. Achuthanandan Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923) is an Indian Communist politician who was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. At 82, he is the oldest person to have assumed the office. He served as the chairman of Adm ...
said there is nothing surprising or wrong in Governor's decision. On 5 November 2013, the CBI special court discharged Pinarayi Vijayan and the others accused from the list of accused in the SNC-Lavalin Case. The court has allowed a plea made by Pinarayi Vijayan asking his name to be removed from the list of accused in the case. The court held that there isn't any proof of dishonest and fraudulent intentions, abuse of official position and cheating. On 16 February 2007 the airport security in
Chennai Airport Chennai International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and its metropolitan area. It is located in Tirusulam, southwest of the city centre. Chennai International Airport is the sixth busiest airpo ...
recovered five bullets from Vijayan's baggage. The Chennai airport security let him off after receiving a faxed copy of his license. As CPI(M) state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan demanded that the Catholic Church in Kerala withdraw a controversial pastoral letter. The letter recommended a "liberation struggle" on the lines of the one in the 1950s to liberate the education sector in Kerala from state control so that the management could charge fees and capitation without government intervention. On 16 October 2007, Pinarayi called Paul Chitilapally, the bishop of Thamarassery in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, a "wretched creature". He was speaking at a memorial remembrance of Mathai Chacko, MLA from
Thamarassery Thamarassery, formerly known as Thazhmalachery, it is one of the taluk in Kozhikode district and major hill town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India, 30 km north-east of Kozhikode (Calicut) City and 29 km east of Koyilandy. It li ...
and a CPI(M) member. He said "A lie is a lie, and just because it is uttered by a bishop it does not become a holy lie." Later, the
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ , native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg , caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...
in arms against the CPI(M) leadership for his comments against the bishop. However, he repeated the same and stuck to his comments. This led to a heated discussion among the Catholic community across the state to protest against his speech by closing all educational institutions run by the church. During the 2018 Kerala floods, the
Government of Kerala Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
was accused of misappropriating a large amount from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund which was collected during the floods. The
First Vijayan ministry First Pinarayi Vijayan ministry is the Council of Ministers headed by Pinarayi Vijayan that was formed after the Left Democratic Front (Kerala), Left Democratic Front (LDF) won the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. The Council assumed ...
was accused of appointment of relatives of party members in various departments of the
Government of Kerala Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. The appointments were accused by the UDF-led opposition. In the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic, the LDF was accused of using the US-based tech firm Sprinklr to access the health data of about 175,000 individuals. Life Mission controversy
Kerala Public Service Commission The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) is a body created by the Constitution of India to select applicants for civil service jobs in the Indian state of Kerala according to the merits of the applicants and the rules of reservation. The He ...
row over temporary appointments and delay of appointments from rank lists to permanent posts. Deep sea fishing controversy over deal between Kerala Industrial Development Corporation (KIDC) and EMCC International India Private Limited. Covid protocol violations. In 2020, Vijayan faced heat from various opposition parties after several members of the chief minister's office were accused in the 2020 Kerala gold smuggling case. The suspended principal secretary of IT department Mr. M. Shivasankar was arrested in connection with the investigation of the Gold smuggling case. In May 2021, the Kerala government planned to spend ₹98 lakh to renovate the CM's residence, and PWD granted the project to the Uralungal Society without inviting tenders.


References


External links


Pinarayi Vijayan discusses the future of the left in India
''Tehelka'', Volume 12 Issue 17, Dated 25 April 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayan, Pinarayi Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Kerala People from Kannur district Malayali politicians 1945 births Living people Kerala MLAs 1970–1977 Kerala MLAs 1977–1979 Kerala MLAs 1991–1996 Kerala MLAs 2016–2021 Chief Ministers of Kerala Chief ministers from Communist Party of India (Marxist)