Who Is Pinarayi Vijayan? Kerala Witnesses Major Political Shift As Former CM Announced As Leader Of The Opposition

Pinarayi Vijayan Latest News:  Former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been nominated as the Leader of the Opposition in the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The nomination has taken place on the same day that the Congress nominated VD Satheesan as the Chief Minister of Kerala.  This decision marks a paradigm shift in the political positions of the two individuals, where VD Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in 2021, will soon assume his position as Chief Minister, whereas Pinarayi Vijayan, who once occupied the position of Chief Minister, will become the Leader of the Opposition. 

Pinarayi Vijayan becomes Leader of the Opposition

Pinarayi Vijayan, a veteran leader of CPI(M), had served as the Chief Minister of Kerala for ten years, starting from 2016 until 2026.

Before the announcement, it was reported that CPI had openly protested against the appointment of Pinarayi Vijayan as the Leader of the Opposition during the party’s leadership meeting. It was argued that the party needed a new face in such an important position. Reports also suggested that former Finance Minister and a senior CPI(M) leader, KN Balagopal could be made the Leader of the Opposition.

Who is Pinarayi Vijayan? 

Pinarayi Vijayan is a renowned Indian politician and an important leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2016 to 2026. Born on May 24, 1945, in Pinarayi village of the Kannur district of Kerala, he comes from a political family and has been associated with student politics and labour politics since his early youth. He pursued economics at Brennen College of Thalassery. His political success was marked by rising through various positions in the CPI(M).

Pinarayi Vijayan entered the realm of legislative politics in 1970 when he contested in Kerala Legislative Assembly elections from the Koothuparamba constituency and emerged victorious. In the wake of the Emergency in India, he was jailed for political activities. He has been associated with many important ministries in the state government, serving as the Electricity and Cooperatives Minister from 1996 to 1998. He was also the Kerala State Secretary of CPI(M), making him a very important strategist of the party.

One of his career achievements occurred in 2016 when he steered the Left Democratic Front (LDF) into an electoral success and became the Chief Minister. The political figure was known for taking charge during situations such as the Nipah virus epidemic, severe floods, and the COVID-19 epidemic that occurred in the state. He broke new ground in 2021 when he steered the LDF party into another successive electoral victory, becoming the first Chief Minister of Kerala in decades to serve two consecutive terms.

The longest serving secretary of the CPI(M) Kerala State Committee for 17 years from 1998 to 2015, Pinarayi Vijayan joined politics long before he became a student.

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