Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as Kerala CM, promises 'people's government'

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader and Kerala Chief Minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday the people have high hopes of the new government ahead of his swearing-in later in the day. [caption id=“attachment_2795562” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Pinarayi Vijayan. News18[/caption] “The people of Kerala have high hopes in our new government and we will also rise to the occasion to make that a reality and deliver,” said Vijayan, soon after submitting his list of cabinet ministers to Kerala Governor P Sathasivam. Vijayan, along with his team of 18 cabinet ministers, will be sworn-in at 4 pm at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Vijayan, a man of few words and more known for his tough exterior, had pushed out former chief minister VS Achuthanandan, who was also aiming for the top post. Achuthanandan, however had to be content with a ceremonial title of ‘Kerala’s Fidel Castro’ that was bestowed on him by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, when Vijayan’s name was announced for the top post. “I wish Vijayan and his new government the best to build a new and resurgent Kerala,” Achuthanandan said. The CPM-led Left Democratic Front swept the 16 May 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. The UDF had to contend with numerous allegations like the bar scam and the solar scam, besides suspicious land deals, which caused a huge dent to the image of the Chandy government, even though he took development and growth to a new level. The major campaign of the LDF was to end the corrupt Chandy government and for that they used all forms of the media and the people also responded positively. The newspapers on Wednesday carried huge advertisements of Vijayan which listed his top priorities, including women’s safety. With inputs from IANS