Pirayi Vijayan era begins in Kerala

Thiruvanthapuram, May 25:  CPI-M politburo member Pirayi Vijayan, 71, was on Wednesday administered oath as the 22nd chief minister of Kerala at the Central Stadium here by Governor P. Sathasivam. Also sworn-in were 18 cabinet ministers — 11 from the CPI-M, four from CPI, and one each from the Congress-S, Jata Dal-S and the tiolist Congress Party. Departing from tradition, this is the second time that the swearing in was held outside the Raj Bhavan complex - the official residence of the Kerala governor. In 2006, V.S. Achuthandan had opted for his swearing-in at the Central Stadium, which was done to ensure that people of the state could come and witness the event. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front swept the May 16 assembly polls, winning 91 seats in the 140-member Kerala assembly, showing the door to Oommen Chandy’s Congress-led government that was in power since 2011. Among those who attended the swearing were former prime minister H.D. Deva Gowda, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat, as also Achuthandan, Chandy, superstar Mammootty and several others. Also seen were top religious leaders, leading cultural persolities and numerous others from various walks of life. An estimated 30,000 people witnessed the ceremony, while hundreds who could not find a place inside the ground had to watch the proceedings on LED screens outside. The state party headquarters of the CPI-M capital city was crowded and party supporters looked excited and happy. “I am a neighbour of Vijayan, from Pirayi, and there is huge excitement in our village; quite a good number of us have come from there to see our leader take over the state administration,” said a middle-aged man.  (IANS)