Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan turned 80 today, quietly marking the milestone without any formal celebrations. Tomorrow, he will complete nine consecutive years in office, becoming the second-longest-serving Chief Minister in the history of the state.
Though official records list his birth date as March 21, 1945, Vijayan himself revealed in 2016 — a day before taking oath as Chief Minister for the first time — that his actual birthday is May 24, 1945.
Born in the village of Mundur in Pinarayi, Kannur district, Vijayan began his education locally and later earned a B.A. in Economics from Brennen College, Thalassery. It was during his college years that he entered student politics through the Kerala Students Federation (KSF), eventually becoming the KSF district secretary in Kannur. In 1964, he became a state committee member and rose through the youth wing ranks, later becoming president of the Kerala State Youth Federation (KSYF).
In 1967, he was appointed the CPI(M) Thalassery area secretary, followed by elevation to the district committee in 1968. He joined the district secretariat in 1972 and the state committee in 1978. In 1998, after the death of senior leader Chadayangad Govindan, Vijayan resigned from his ministerial post to become the CPI(M) state secretary.
Over the past 25 years, Pinarayi Vijayan has remained a dominant figure in Kerala politics. His nine years as Chief Minister mark a significant political evolution — from a strict, ideological leader to a widely recognized administrator shaping the future of the state.
