Pinarayi Vijayan

Pinarayi Vijayan
Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 24, 2002
Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kerala State Committee
In office
September 25, 1998 β€“ February 23, 2015
Preceded by Chadayan Govindan
Succeeded by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
Minister of Electric power and Co-operatives Kerala state
In office
1996–1998
Personal details
Born 21 March 1944
Pinarayi, Kannur district
Political party Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Spouse(s) Kamala
Children Veena & Vivek
Residence Pinarayi, Kerala
Religion None

Pinarayi Vijayan (Malayalam: ΰ΄ͺΰ΄Ώΰ΄£ΰ΄±ΰ΄Ύΰ΄―ΰ΄Ώ ഡിജയࡻ) is an Indian politician and a former minister of Kerala State, South India. He is currently a politburo member and was the general secretary of Kerala State Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) from 1998 to 2015. He was the longest serving secretary in the party’s history.

Early life and education

He was born on 21 March 1944 in a poor family in Pinarayi in Kannur district.[1] He is married to Kamala and has two children, Veena & Vivek. After passing out of school, he worked as a handloom weaver for a year before joining for Pre – University course in the Government Brennen College, Thalassery. Later he completed degree course from there.[2]

Political career

Pinarayi Vijayan entered politics through student union activities and eventually joined the Communist Party in 1964. He was president and secretary of the Kerala Student's Federation (KSF) and also served as the president of Kerala State Youth Federation (KSYF). During that period, when communists in Kerala were organising the political activities from different hide-outs, Pinarayi Vijayan was imprisoned for one and a half years. Later he was elected the president of the Kerala state co-operative bank. And during emergency he was arrested and tortured by police. He got elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970. He was re-elected in 1977, 1991 and 1996. He was the Minister for Electric power and Co-operatives in the E.K. Nayanar ministry from 1996 to 1998. In 1998 he became CPI(M) state secretary. He was elected to the politburo of CPI(M) in 2002.[2]

Positions held

Disciplinary action

On 26 May 2007 the CPI(M) suspended Pinarayi Vijayan and V. S. Achuthanandan from the politburo for their public remarks on each other. The central committee has approved the politburo's decision to suspend them. It concluded that open criticism against each other aired by the two leaders had "violated the norms of the party". Pinarai was reinstated as members of the Politburo later.[3]

SNC Lavlin scandal

The SNC Lavalin controversy in Kerala is a major allegation that rocked Kerala politics. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report said that the deal Vijayan had struck as electricity minister in 1998 with Lavalin, a Canadian firm, for the repair of three generators, was a huge fraud and had cost the state exchequer a staggering Rs 3.76 billion. On 16 January 2007, Kerala High Court ordered a CBI enquiry into the SNC Lavalin case.[4] On 21 January 2009, CBI filed a progress report on the investigation in the Kerala high court. Pinarayi Vijayan has been named as the 9th accused in the case.[5][6] CPI(M) backed Pinarayi saying that the CBI move was "politically motivated". Party viewed the implication of pinarayi in the case is to settle scores with the CPM after the party withdrew its support to the UPA government.[6] The CPM led Kerala Government decided not to let Vijayan to be prosecuted in the case.[7] Over-ruling the cabinet recommendation, the Governor allowed CBI to prosecute Vijayan based on prima facie evidence.[8][9] Though CPI(M) called Governor's move un-constitutional, then Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said there is nothing surprising or wrong in Governor's decision.[10][11][12][13] With Kerala Governor's recommendation to prosecute Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case, he became the first Politburo member in the CPI(M) history to be prosecuted in a corruption case.[14]

Acquittal

In 5 November 2013, the CBI special court has discharged Pinarayi Vijayan and the others accused from the list of accused in the SNC-Lavalin Case. The court has allowed a plea made by Pinarayi Vijayan asking his name to be removed from the list of accused in the case. The court held that there isn't any proof of dishonest and fraudulent intentions, abuse of official position and cheating.

Acquittal in the case came as a major relief for Vijayan and would mark the beginning of a crucial phase in CPM politics. Although the CPI(M ) had termed the case politically-motivated, the scandal had eclipsed Vijayan's bid to enter parliamentary politics. The judgement further strengthened his position in the party.[15]

Controversies

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pinarayi Vijayan.
  1. ↑ "CPI(M) cadres happy with Pinarayi's re-election". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 24 February 2005.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Pinarayi Vijayan". www.cpimkerala.org. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Achuthanandan, Pinarayi Vijayan suspended". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 27 May 2007.
  4. ↑ "Kearala to go by HC order in Lavalin case". The Hindu Business Line.
  5. ↑ "CBI finds Pinarayi guilty in Lavalin scam, moralistic CPM yet to act". The Economic Times. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "CBI seeks nod to prosecute CPM's Kerala unit chief". The Indian Express. 22 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Kerala govt not to prosecute Vijayan in Lavlain case". The Times of India. 6 May 2009.
  8. ↑ "Governor allows CBI to prosecute Vijayan". The Times of India. 8 June 2009.
  9. ↑ "CBI gets Governor nod to book Pinarayi". The Indian Express. 8 June 2009.
  10. ↑ "Kerala CM says governor not wrong, riles CPM". Times of India. 11 June 2009.
  11. ↑ "Rift in Kerala unit of CPIM widens". Business Standard. 19 June 2009.
  12. ↑ "Time for party to come to aid of Lavalin accused". Indian Express. 8 July 2009.
  13. ↑ "Vijayan fund". Telegraphindia. 25 June 2009.
  14. ↑ "CBI gets Governor nod to book Pinarayi". The Indian Express. 8 June 2009.
  15. ↑ Philip, Shaju (5 November 2013). "Pinarayi Vijayan, 6 others discharged in Lavalin case". The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Act against Pinarayi: Chandy". The Hindu. 20 February 2007.
  17. ↑ "Pinarayi wants pastoral letter retracted". Gulf News.
  18. ↑ "Unfazed Pinarayi continues to attack bishop". The Economic Times. 17 October 2007.
  19. ↑ "Do not vitiate social climate, says Pinarayi". The Hindu. 17 October 2007.

External links