THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor P Sathasivam has appointed CPM parliamentary party leader Pinarayi Vijayan as the new Chief Minister of Kerala and invited him to form the new state government. Pinarayi Vijayan will meet the Governor on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, Pinarayi Vijayan had been officially elected as CPM’s parliamentary party leader at a meeting of party legislators, presided over by veteran V S Achuthanandan, at the AKG Centre. Party state secretariat member M M Mani has been elected as the party whip, while state committee member S Sharma has been made the parliamentary party leader.
Following the decision, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, along with LDF leaders, including E Chandrasekharan of CPI and A K Saseendran of NCP, met the Governor, on behalf of the Left front and staked claim to form the new government. Kodiyeri handed over letters regarding the election of Pinarayi Vijayan as LDF’s parliamentary party along with expression of support from the leaders of other Legislature parties in the Left front. “As per the provisions of Article 164 (1) of the Constitution, the Governor has appointed Pinarayi Vijayan as the Chief Minister and sought from him the list of persons to be appointed as ministerial colleagues,” said an official communique from the Raj Bhavan. The new government will swear in at 4 pm on Wednesday at the Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
After meeting the Governor, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the media that Pinarayi Vijayan would meet the Governor on Wednesday morning. The portfolios of ministers will be decided during the LDF meet on Wednesday morning.