Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan filed his nomination papers as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate in Dharmadam Assembly constituency in Kannur district on Thursday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan submits his nomination papers as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate from the Dharmadam constituency, in Kannur, Kerala, on Thursday. (PTI)
Chief minister Vijayan, the first candidate of a major party to file nomination for the upcoming assembly polls, submitted the papers before Returning Officer Sachin Krishna at the Sub-Registrar Office in Thalassery around 11 am.
The chief minister was accompanied by his Communist Party of India (Marxist) colleagues EP Jayarajan, AN Shamseer, KK Rajesh and P Sasi. Incidentally, Vijayan submitted the nomination papers on the 28th death anniversary of EMS Namboodiripad, Kerala’s first chief minister and communist doyen.
Though the CPI(M) earlier planned a roadshow with thousands of supporters from the chief minister’s home village of Pinarayi to the sub-registrar’s office, Vijayan avoided it and reached the office directly.
He spent around 15 minutes at the office before leaving for Malappuram for party events commemorating the death anniversary of EMS.
This is the third time that Pinarayi Vijayan has filed his nomination papers as a party candidate in Dharmadam constituency, having won in 2016 and 2021.
He has been elected MLA from Kuthuparamba constituency thrice and once from Thaliparamba.
The two-time CM has declared moveable and immoveable assets worth ₹1.01 crore as part of his financial statement. In the declaration filed before the 2021 elections, his assets amounted to ₹1.18 crore.
Vijayan has claimed moveable assets of over ₹45 lakh including bank deposits and shares in firms including Malayalam Communications Limited, which owns Kairali TV, and Kannur International Airport Limited.
The affidavit states that he has immoveable property worth over ₹56 lakh including a residential property and 78 cents of agricultural land. He does not own gold or vehicles.
His wife Kamala Vijayan has moveable assets worth ₹60 lakh, including 80 grams of gold, and immoveable assets worth ₹36 lakh. Both Vijayan and his wife have no liabilities.
CM Vijayan faces six cases, including under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the SNC-Lavalin case and one under ED investigation in the case relating to the issue of masala bonds by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.