Twenty-seven-year-old CPI(M) legislator elected from Baluserri K.M. Sachindev is the youngest legislator and 79-year-old Kerala Congress legislator P. J. Joseph elected again from Thodupuzha constituency, the eldest legislator of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly.
The youngest to contest the April 6 elections to the Legislative Assembly was 26-year-old K. M. Abhijith of Congress from Kozhikode North, Aritha Babu (26 years) from Kayamkulam and the eldest BJP’s candidate 88-year-old E. Sreedharan from Palakkad constituency. But, luck did not favour these candidates.
Still, Mathew T. Thomas holds the record for being the youngest legislator elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Mr. Thomas was 25 years, six months and one day old when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1987 elections from Thiruvalla constituency. Mr. Thomas was elected this time also from Thiruvalla on a Janata Dal Secular ticket.
Veteran CPI(M) leader V. S. Achuthanandan holds the record for the eldest member of the Kerala Assembly. Mr. Achuthanandan was 92 years and seven months old when he was elected to the Assembly from Malampuzha constituency in Palakkad in the 2016 elections to the Kerala Assembly. Mr. Achuthanandran did not contest this time due to ill-health.
The new Legislative Assembly has 31 legislators in the 27 to 48 years age group. Four per cent of the newly elected legislators are of the 25-35 years age group, 19 per cent are of the 36-45 years age, 26 per cent are of the 46-55 years age group and 26 per cent to the 56-65 years age group.
Around 20 per cent of the legislators belong to the age group of 66-75 years and the 76 years and above four per cent. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, both being 77-year-olds, who were re-elected from Dharmadam constituency in Kannur district and Puthuppally constituency in Kottayam district respectively again, come under this group.
The 28-year-old Linto Joseph elected from Thiruvambady constituency on a CPI(M) ticket is the next youngest legislator after Mr. Sachindev. Of the 31 legislators in the 27 to 48 age group, 17 had won on CPI(M) ticket and one is CPI(M) Independent.
Of the elected LDF legislators, 27 out of 99 are below 50 years of age while only 12 out of 41 UDF legislators are below 50 years of age. The average age of the LDF candidates was 55 years, UDF 53 years and BJP-led NDA 50 years. Only Mr. Sreedharan of BJP contested in the 80 plus age group. In the new Assembly, 27 legislators have passed 10th standard, 17 Plus Two, 25 are graduates, 15 post-graduates, 41 graduate professionals, one MPhil and four have doctorates.
