In a collective decision on Friday, the Left announced that Pinarayi Vijayan will be Kerala’s next Chief Minister.
The decision to nominate 72-year-old political bureau, Pinarayi Vijayan was taken at the state secretariat which met at AKG Bhavan, the CPI(M) headquarters, party sources revealed.
The 93-year-old Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), veteran V S Achutanandan, who was also in the race for the post, was called to the state secretariat and intimidated about the same. He soon left for his cantonment house.
The CPM secretariat and party’s Kerala committee met here on Friday in the presence of general secretary, Sitaram Yechury to decide the chief ministerial candidate after LDF romped home in the assembly polls.
The state secretariat unanimously decided to make Mr Vijayan the next CM and report it to the state committee.
Achuthanandan, who was the face of LDF campaign, and Pinarayi Vijayan were elected to the assembly from Malampuzha and Pinaryi respectively.
Vijayan is the only politburo member who has been elected to the assembly this time.
In the 140-member state assembly, CPM-led LDF won 91 seats, UDF led by Congress got 47 while BJP and independents secured one each.
Soon after the decision to nominate Vijayan to the CM’s post became known, party workers at AKG Bhavan started celebrations and merrymaking and began distributing sweets.
By Isha Kulkarni with inputs from Times of India
Tags: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
