CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan today took oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala with 19 ministers at the central stadium in capital Thiruvananthapuram in a ceremony that drew over 30,000 people.
Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath along with 19-member Cabinet.
CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as Kerala chief minister.
The CPM or Communist Party of India-Marxist will have 12 ministers, the Communist Party of India or CPI will have four and three other LDF constituents - the Janata Dal-S, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress-S - will have one each. Last week, the LDF wrested Kerala back from the Oomen Chandy-led Congress
He will take oath along with 19 other ministers at the central stadium in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram. The ceremony is expected to draw around 40,000 people.
"This will be a people's government and will function for the welfare of the people. There will be no caste, religious and political barriers and we will function with that spirit," Mr Vijayan has promised. Among the pledges his newspaper ads this morning are safety for women and minorities, welfare of students and the elderly and a promise of new jobs and control of inflation.
The son of a toddy tapper, Mr Vijayan was picked to be chief minister over Mr Achuthanandan, the CPM's star campaigner, primarily because he is younger, the party explained. Mr Vijayan is 72, 20 years younger than 93-year-old Mr Achuthanandan.
(Photo: Pinarayi Vijayan) Pinarayi Vijayan will take oath today as chief minister and is "committed to turn Kerala into a truly God's own country." Pinarayi Vijayan served for 17 years as the CPM's Kerala state secretary, the longest tenure ever. He has been elected to the state assembly five times and won this year's election from Dharmadam constituency by a margin of 36,000 votes.