Kannur, March 19 (IANS) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his wife Kamala together hold deposits exceeding Rs 1 crore, according to the affidavit submitted on Thursday along with his nomination papers for the Dharmadam Assembly constituency.

Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators.

The affidavit shows that Vijayan has deposits of Rs 43.35 lakh, while Kamala has deposits of Rs 60.58 lakh.

Vijayan owns 78 cents of land, and Kamala owns 17.5 cents at Onchiyam. She also has 10 sovereigns of gold jewellery.

The disclosure states that neither has any liabilities.

It also notes that three criminal cases are pending against Vijayan, although he has not been convicted in any of them.

Vijayan, contesting as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, filed his nomination on Thursday morning at the Thalassery Sub‑Registrar Office before Returning Officer Sachin Krishna.

Senior CPI(M) leaders, including E. P. Jayarajan, A. N. Shamseer and K. K. Ragesh, accompanied him.

This marks the seventh time Vijayan is contesting Assembly elections, underscoring a political journey spanning more than five decades.

He first entered the electoral fray in 1970 as a 25‑year‑old from Kuthuparamba, winning the seat three times. He later represented Payyannur once before shifting to Dharmadam, from where he is now seeking a third consecutive term.

Despite the routine nature of the filing, the contest in Dharmadam assumes significance as Vijayan seeks to retain political momentum in a closely watched election.

His candidature remains central to the LDF’s campaign narrative, with the Chief Minister aiming to consolidate support in a constituency that has been a stronghold in recent elections.

After filing his papers, Vijayan briefly interacted with the media and said he would respond to election‑related questions later.

He then left to attend campaign programmes in Dharmadam and is scheduled to travel to Malappuram later in the day as part of his election outreach.

–IANS

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