Today, Pinarayi Vijayan was sworn in as Kerala's Chief Minister for his second term. He is Kerala's first CM, in the last four decades to be re-elected after completing five years in office.
Born on May 24, 1945, in Pinarayi village of Kannur district,Vijayan was the youngest son of Koran and Kalyani. He graduated in Economics from Government Brennen College in Thalassery, Kannur, which is known as Kerala's red bastion.
Vijayan is married to Kamala, who is a retired teacher and the couple has two children, Vivek Kiran and T Veena. He started his political career with the students' wing of the Communist Party.
In 1968, at just 23, Vijayan was appointed as district committee member of Kannur, which is the stronghold of CPIM in Kerala . He contested for assembly election from Kannur's Koothuparamba constituency in 1970 for the first time on CPIM ticket and won.
He was the youngest legislator in the Assembly when he won the first time in 1970. In 1996, he became Minister for power in the EK Nayanar government..
He was appointed as CPI (M) state general secretary in 1998. Vijayan was booked by CBI in the connection with SNC-Lavalin case when he was the Minister of Electricity during 1996-97.
In 2013, CBI acquitted him of all charges, paving the way for his re-entry into electoral politics. In 2016, after winning from Dharmadom constituency, Vijayan was sworn in as the 12th CM of Kerala. Now his second term in 2021 has earned him the distinction of the first CM in four decades to be re-elected after completing five years in office.