Honorable Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Pinarayi Vijayan (born 24 May 1945) is an Indian politician who has served as the Chief Minister of Kerala since 25 May 2016. He is a member of the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and was the longest-serving secretary of the Kerala State Committee of the CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015. Previously, he held the position of Minister of Electric Power and Co-operatives during the third E. K. Nayanar ministry.
Electoral Success and Chief Ministership
Vijayan won his seat in the Dharmadom constituency during the Kerala Legislative Assembly elections in May 2016 and again in 2021 as the CPI(M) candidate. He was appointed leader of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and became the 12th Chief Minister of Kerala.
Achievements and Record-Breaking Leadership
Notably, Vijayan is the first chief minister in Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. In 2022, he became the longest-serving continuous chief minister of Kerala, surpassing C. Achutha Menon’s record of 2,364 consecutive days in office.
Early Life and Education
Vijayan was born on 24 May 1945 in Pinarayi, Kannur, Kerala, as the youngest of 15 children, with only three siblings surviving. After completing school, he worked as a handloom weaver for a year before enrolling in a pre-university course at Government Brennen College in Thalassery. He later obtained a B.A. degree in Economics from the same institution.
Personal Life
He is married to Kamala Vijayan, a retired teacher, and they have two children: a daughter, Veena, who is married to P. A. Mohammed Riyas, and a son, Vivek Kiran Vijayan.
Early Political Journey
Pinarayi Vijayan began his political journey through student union activities at Government Brennen College in Thalassery and joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 1964. He became the Kannur district secretary of the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), which later transformed into the Students Federation of India (SFI). Vijayan advanced to serve as both the state secretary and the state president of KSF.
Leadership Roles in Youth and Student Movements
Vijayan subsequently joined the Kerala State Youth Federation (KSYF), which later became the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), where he became the president of the state committee.
Imprisonment and Post-Release Leadership
During a time when communists in Kerala were organizing their activities from various hideouts, Vijayan was imprisoned for a year and a half. After his release, he was elected president of the Kerala State Co-operative Bank. He later took on the role of Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M) following M.V. Raghavan’s departure from the party over the “alternative document” controversy.