Vijayan was born on 24 May 1945 in Pinarayi, Kannur, Kerala, as the youngest son of Maroli Koran and Alakkatt Kalyani.[11][12] He had 14 siblings of whom only three survived. After graduating from school, he worked as a handloom weaver for a year before joining for a pre-university course in the Government Brennen College, Thalassery. Subsequently, he earned B.A. Economics degree from the same college.[13]
He is married to Kamala Vijayan and has two children, daughter Veena Vijayan who is married to P. A. Mohammed Riyas and son Vivek Kiran Vijayan. His wife is a retired teacher.[14][15]
Pinarayi Vijayan entered politics through student union activities at Government Brennen College, Thalassery. 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 (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 (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. He became the Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M) when M.V. Raghavan left the party over the 'alternative document' row.
During the emergency rule, when communists in Kerala were organising the political activities from different hide-outs, many CPI(M) members and leaders including Pinarayi Vijayan was imprisoned for one and a half years. He was arrested and tortured by police.[22] After his release, Pinarayi Vijayan reached the Kerala Legislative Assembly and made an impassionate speech against senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran holding up the blood-stained shirt he wore when in police custody, causing serious embarrassment to the then C. Achutha Menon government.[23]
Minister of Electricity (1996–1998)
In the 1996 assembly election, E. K. Nayanar led LDF won the election and Vijayan was appointed Minister of Electricity.[24] Under his ministry Kerala made huge progress in the generation and distribution of electricity towards self-sufficiency.[citation needed]
On 26 May 2007 the CPI(M) suspended Pinarayi Vijayan and V. S. Achuthanandan from the Politburo for their public remarks on each other. Pinarayi was reinstated into the Politburo later.[29]
The 2021 election of Kerala saw the incumbent government of Vijayan led Left Democratic Front (LDF) retained to power with 99 seats, 8 more than in the previous election, marking the first time that an alliance won consecutive terms in the state since its 1977 election.[33] Pinarayi Vijayan also became the only Chief minister of Kerala to get re-elected after completing full five year term in the office. The Council assumed office on 20 May 2021.[34] The ministry is having a total of 21 ministers in the Cabinet compared to 20 ministers in the previous government.[35][36] In November 2022, Vijayan became the longest continuous serving chief minister of Kerala.[37]
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.[40][41][42]
The SNC Lavalin controversy in Kerala was a major allegation that rocked Kerala politics. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report had stated that the deal Vijayan had struck[43] 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.[44] There are also reports that the CAG did not report any losses to state exchequer, but that the project did not yield commensurate gains.[45] Pinarayi Vijayan had been named as the 9th accused in the case by CBI.[46][47] The CPM led Kerala Government decided not to let Vijayan be prosecuted in the case.[48] Over-ruling the cabinet recommendation, the Governor allowed CBI to prosecute Vijayan.[49][50] Though CPI(M) called Governor's move un-constitutional, then Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said there is nothing surprising or wrong in Governor's decision.[51][52][53][54] 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.[55][56]
On 16 February 2007 the airport security in Chennai Airport recovered five bullets from Vijayan's baggage. The Chennai airport security let him off after receiving a faxed copy of his license.[57] 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.[58] During the 2018 Kerala floods, the Government of Kerala was accused of misappropriating a large amount from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund which was collected during the floods.[59]
Kerala Public Service Commission row over temporary appointments and delay of appointments from rank lists to permanent posts.[60] Deep sea fishing controversy over deal between Kerala Industrial Development Corporation (KIDC) and EMCC International India Private Limited.[61] Covid protocol violations.[62] 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.[63] The suspended principal secretary of IT department Mr. M. Shivasankar was arrested in connection with the investigation of the Gold smuggling case.[64]
In May 2021, the Kerala government planned to spend ₹98 lakh to renovate the Chief Minister's official residence, and PWD granted the project to the Uralungal Society without inviting tenders.[65]
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