Thiruvananthapuram: Eighty-two-year-old Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan has become the oldest Chief Minister of Kerala.
Achuthanandan, also the 20th Chief Minister, fondly called VS, is part of the legendary Punnapra-Vayalar peasant uprising and a politbureau member for a decade, missed the big position twice before despite being projected as the CPI(M) Chief Ministerial aspirant on both the occasions.
Achuthanandan, who maintained a clean image and fought injustice and corruption, had been denied a ticket to contest the elections. However, the politbureau was forced to field him after mass protests from party workers and the common people too.
E M S Namboodiripad was nearly 48 when he assumed charge as first Chief Minister of Kerala.
R Sankar became Chief Minister at the age of 53 years and five months, followed by C Achutha Menon at the age of 56 years and eight months, K Karunakaran (58 years and eight months), P K Vasudevan Nair (52 years and seven months), E K Nayanar (60 years), C H Mohammad Koya (49 years and three months) and Oommen Chandy (60 years and eight months).
However, A K Antony still holds the credit of the youngest Chief Minister of the state. He was only 36 years and four months old when he took over charge from Mr Karunakaran on April 27, 1977.
Except in the first (1957-59), fourth (1970-77), seventh (1982-87) and eighth (1996-2001) Kerala Assembly, more than one Chief Minister were there. In the fifth Assembly, there were four Chief Ministers.
While E K Nayanar holds the credit of ruling the state the maximum number of 4,008 days as Chief Minister on three occasions, C H Mohammad Koya has a unique distinction of being CM for a minimum number of 51 days.
The C Achutha Menon Ministry, which ruled the state for 2,635 days from 1970 to 1977, served the longest term and the shortest term of 32 days was by Karunakaran from March 25 to April 25, 1977.
Though this is the 12th Cabinet, the state had 19 Chief Ministers right from E M S Namboodiripad (first Kerala Legislative Assembly from April 5, 1957 to July 31, 1959), Pattom A Thanu Pillai and R Sankar (second CM from February 22, 1960 to September 26, 1962 and third CM from September 26, 1962 to September 10, 1964 respectively).
While E M S Namboodiripad and C Achutha Menon shared the third Assembly from March 6, 1967 to November 1, 1969 and from November 1, 1969 to August 1, 1970 respectively, C Achuthamenon (fourth CM from October 4, 1970 to March 25, 1977) had the longest term ever.
The fifth Assembly found four CMs, K Karunakaran, A K Antony, P K Vasudevan Nair and C H Mohammed Koya sharing power from March 25, 1977 to April 25, 1977, from April 27, 1977 to October 27, 1978, from October 29 to October 7, 1979 and from October 12, 1979 to December 1, 1979 respectively.
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) come to power again and E K Nayanar become the Chief Minister of the sixth Assembly from January 25, 1980 to October 20, 1981.
Later, Karunakaran ruled from December 28, 1981 to March 17, 1982. K Karunakaran was again chosen Chief Minister of the seventh Assembly and he ruled from May 24, 1982 to March 25, 1987.
The eighth Assembly was headed by CPI(M)-led LDF and E K Nayanar was elected Chief Minister from March 26, 1987 to June 17, 1991.
The ninth Assembly had Karunakaran at its head and A K Antony from June 24, 1991 to March 16, 1995. From March 22, 1995 to May 9, 1996 respectively.
Chief Minister E K Nayanar led the 10th Assembly from May 20, 1996 to May 13, 2001.
A K Antony was elected Chief Minister of the 11th Assembly and he was in power from May 17, 2001 to August 29, 2004 and following the debacle in the elections to the Lok Sabha, he resigned the post and Oommen Chandy assumed power from August 31, 2004 till the end of the tenure of the 11th Assembly.
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