Pinarayi Vijayan to lead LDF in assembly elections next year: M A Baby
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was one of three senior leaders granted an exemption from the 75-year age limit for continuing in the central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Thiruvannathapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was one of three senior leaders granted an exemption from the 75-year age limit for continuing in the central committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
This exemption was approved by the Madurai party Congress for Vijayan, who will turn 80 in May. The decision comes in light of the crucial Assembly elections in Kerala, scheduled for April 2026.
"Yes, Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan will lead the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the assembly elections," said M.A. Baby, the newly elected general secretary of the party, in response to questions regarding Vijayan's exemption. When asked if Pinarayi Vijayan would become chief minister after the elections, Baby stated that such decisions would be made later.
He expressed confidence that the LDF has a good chance of returning to power for a third consecutive term if it effectively engages with the people.
Former Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy was also granted an exemption due to her position as the president of the All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA). Additionally, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami from Jammu and Kashmir received an exemption.
The CPM central committee inducted three new members from Kerala: former Excise Minister T.P. Ramakishnan, former MLA K.S. Saleekha, and Puthalath Dineshan, the chief editor of the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani.
