Kannur: For the second day after the heavy setback in the Assembly elections, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has refrained from speaking to the media. When he arrived at Kannur airport on Tuesday morning, journalists sought his reaction, but he was not willing to comment. The Chief Minister reached the airport to board the 8:40 am flight to Thiruvananthapuram. It is expected that he may address the media in the capital later.

Following the massive defeat in the Assembly elections, Pinarayi Vijayan had sent his resignation letter to the Governor on Monday night itself. He also cancelled the final Cabinet meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday. He is travelling to Thiruvananthapuram to complete the formal procedures of stepping down as Chief Minister. His wife, daughter, and grandson are accompanying him.

On Monday, the Chief Minister stayed at his residence in Pinarayi and monitored the election results. As the party and the front suffered a major defeat, the sharp decline in his majority in the Dharmadam constituency also dimmed the sheen of his victory. However, even hours after the results were declared, he has not responded to the outcome. Meanwhile, following the heavy setback, strong criticism has been emerging against the Chief Minister and party secretary MV Govindan from CPM-supporting accounts on social media.