- By Raju Kumar
- Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:10 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kerala CM Face: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday reacted to the reports of him leading the next election as CM face, saying such decision is not taken by him, but the party.
Vijayan said, "Many people may be thinking along those lines, but we have not thought about it so far. As all of you know, our decisions are taken collectively after proper deliberations," he said.
"I do not take such decisions personally; party matters are always decided through collective discussion. It is not for me to make a statement on this now. The party will provide clarity at an appropriate time," the chief minister asserted.
There is no need to turn this into a question of whether it is me or not, he said, adding that he is only stating their general practice—that such matters are discussed and decided later through collective deliberation. That is our established approach, he added.
Vijayan Attacks Congress On Sabarimala Gold Theft Row
While speaking on the Sabarimala gold theft row, the chief minister attacked Congress and its leader Sonia Gandhi, saying, "Who facilitated Sabarimala meeting of gold theft accused with Sonia Gandhi?; Congress needs to explain." A photo featuring the accused Unnikrishnan Potty with Congress MP Adoor Prakash and Sonia Gandhi drew criticism from the ruling party.
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"CM's office is not interfering in SIT probe into Sabarimala gold theft case," Vijayan said on UDF's allegation of influencing the probe into the theft case.
Kerala Cabinet Recommends Assembly Session From Jan 20
Meanwhile, the Kerala government on Wednesday decided to recommend to the Governor to convene the 16th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly from January 20. The decision was taken at a state Cabinet meeting chaired by Vijayan. In addition, the Cabinet approved the creation of new jobs in key institutions. According to a statement, 159 posts will be created at the Kochi Cancer Research Centre, including permanent and contract positions.