Pinarayi Vijayan

About Pinarayi Vijayan

Who is Pinarayi Vijayan?

Pinarayi Vijayan is an Indian politician and the current chief minister of Kerala. Serving since May 12, 2016, Vijayan is the 12th CM of the state. He is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and served as the secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015, which made his tenure the longest ever. He had also served in the Kerala government prior to his current stint. He was the Minister of Electric Power and Co-operatives from 1996 to 1998 in the Kerala government. In the May 2021 Kerala elections, Vijayan won as the CPI(M) candidate from Dharmadom constituency.

Born on May 24, 1945 in Pinarayi village of Malabar district in Madras Presidency, Vijayan was the youngest son of Koran and Kalyani. He had a total of 14 siblings of which only 3 survived. Soon after graduating from college, Vijayan started working as a handloom weaver for a year before joining pre–university course in the Government Brennen College, Thalassery. He earned his BA Economics degree from the same college.

Vijayan is married to Kamala Vijayan, who is a retired teacher. The couple has two children, Vivek Kiran and T Veena.

Political career

He started his political career through student politics in Government Brennen College, Thalassery. He later joined the CPI(M) in 1964. He became the district secretary of the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), which later became the Students Federation of India (SFI). Later, he also served as the secretary and the state president of KSF. He then joined the Kerala State Youth Federation, which became the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). He was prisoned for one and half year as during that time communists were organising political activities from hide-outs. He was also arrested and tortured during the period of Emergency.

He went on to become the president of the Kerala Co-Op Bank. He was also the Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M) when M V Raghavan left the party over the 'alternative document' row. Vijayan was elected to the politburo in 2002. In 2016, he became the CM of Kerala and held the portfolio of Home Affairs & Vigilance Departments along with few others.

In his tenure as the CM of Kerala, Vijayan has faced many issues beginning from Nipah, coronavirus pandemic, floods, Sabrimala Temple judgment, and allegations of scam. In 2021, Vijayan-led LDF retained power in Kerala by bettering its 2016 tally and by breaking the state’s dreaded record of voting out every incumbent regime for the past 40 years. He was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Kerala for the second time in a row on May 20, 2021.

Latest Updates on Pinarayi Vijayan

Case on misuse of funds against CM sent to full bench of Kerala Lok Ayukta

Lok Ayukta said that the case was being transferred as there was a difference of opinion on whether the decisions of the cabinet can be subjected to its investigation

Updated On: 31 Mar 2023 | 2:51 PM IST

Kerala Lokayukta to take up case against CM over mishandling of CMDRF

The Kerala Lokayukta is expected to deliver its verdict in a case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday

Updated On: 30 Mar 2023 | 11:17 AM IST

Spreading false propaganda against women's safety is not good: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that some people are spreading false propaganda against women's safety across the state and promoting such things is not a good tendency

Updated On: 24 Mar 2023 | 11:57 AM IST

UK expresses interest to partner with Kerala in higher education sector: CM

Vijayan said Britain has shown interest in the Graphene Centre and the Incubation Centre of Kerala

Updated On: 22 Mar 2023 | 10:03 PM IST

Vijayan to go slow on case against 7 Oppn MLAs for Assembly fiasco: Rpt

Of the seven opposition legislators named, two are women and the FIR includes charges which can fetch imprisonment for a decade

Updated On: 22 Mar 2023 | 11:58 AM IST

Kerala CM announces three-tier probe in Brahmapuram fire in Assembly

The fire at the waste dumpyard was doused completely on March 13, the Chief Minister said while making a special statement on the issue in the House

Updated On: 15 Mar 2023 | 6:50 PM IST

Kerala Oppn demands clarification from CM on Swapna Suresh's allegations

Opposition Leader in the Kerala State Assembly VD Satheesan sought a reply from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M's state secretary MV Govindan on fresh allegations levelled by Swapna Suresh

Updated On: 11 Mar 2023 | 10:51 AM IST

As Kochi smog continues for eight days, Muraleedharan slams Kerala CM

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his silence on the ongoing problem of smog that has engulfed

Updated On: 09 Mar 2023 | 3:44 PM IST

Dispel perception that Sisodia was arrested for political reasons: Vijayan

Vijayan, in his letter, said the arrest of Sisodia has "lent further force to the argument" about certain actions of the central investigation agencies

Updated On: 07 Mar 2023 | 3:04 PM IST

Pinarayi Vijayan's closest aide C M Ravindran ducks appearance before ED

Ravindran, through an e-mail, informed ED officials that since he is busy with the ongoing assembly session, he will be unable to appear before them

Updated On: 27 Feb 2023 | 12:18 PM IST

Kerala's Kovalam beach to get facelift as govt okays Rs 93 cr-worth project

Infrastructure and transportation facilities, renovation of parks and other things would be covered under the project, which would be implemented in two phases

Updated On: 23 Feb 2023 | 4:13 PM IST

Kerala HC rejects plea claiming arrest, detention for waving black flags

The petition was rejected by a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman

Updated On: 21 Feb 2023 | 2:21 PM IST

Pinarayi Vijayan's former top official Sivasankar appears before ED

The once most powerful bureaucrat in the Pinarayi Vijayan government M.Sivasankar, who retired from service in January, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday

Updated On: 13 Feb 2023 | 1:23 PM IST

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan hails ISRO's successful launch of SSLV

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday lavished praise on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its successful SSLV-D2/EOS-07 mission and termed it as a " huge milestone".

Updated On: 10 Feb 2023 | 7:07 PM IST

BJP to protest against Pinarayi govt over State Budget from Monday

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is mulling to corner the Pinarayi Vijayan led-Kerala government by holding a protest from Monday against the state budget for the financial year 2023-2024

Updated On: 05 Feb 2023 | 5:40 PM IST

PT Usha alleges illegal encroachment at her athletics school in Kerala

'It is a growing institution, so many athletes are being trained there and this is not the first time such an incident has taken place'

Updated On: 05 Feb 2023 | 7:59 AM IST

Kerala's economy posted strong recovery in 2021-22: State Economic Review

Finance minister KN Balagopal on Thursday tabled the State Economic Review for 2021-22, claiming that the state had posted its fastest growth since 2012-13

Updated On: 03 Feb 2023 | 7:44 AM IST

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