Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as Kerala CM for the second time

Pinarayi Vijayan took oath as Kerala chief minister for the second successive term on Thursday. He was administered the oath by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

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CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan took oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala today. He was administered the oath by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. pic.twitter.com/RaPAyAT4Sl

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2021

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered the oath of office to 76-year-old Vijayan. It is the second stint of the Marxist veteran in the top office.

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The new Left Democratic Front (LDF) government bucked the trends, as Kerala usually alternates between the Left and a Congress government, by registering a dominant win in the 6 April assembly polls. The LDF won 99 of 140 seats.

Opposition Congress-UDF leaders kept away from the function in view of the spike in coronavirus cases.

The Kerala High Court had on Wednesday directed the state government to restrict the number of participants in the ceremony in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

KK Shailaja’s omission from new LDF cabinet

Former Kerala minister KK Shailaja’s omission from the new cabinet has set off a debate with many including celebrities backing her and demanding that she be reinstated in the ministry.

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She played a leading role in the state’s fight against Covid-19 and was especially lauded for her handling of the pandemic in the first wave.