Thiruvananthapuram: Exactly three weeks after the demise of veteran Kerala leader and two-time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the Election Commission on Tuesday announced the by-election to his Puthupally Assembly constituency in Kottayam district will be held on September 5 and the Congress fielded his son Chandy Oommen.
Oommen Chandy has had a record-breaking run as Puthupally legislator starting from his debut election in 1970 till July 18 when he passed away.
With his last journey from the state capital to his grave at his home parish St George Orthodox Church in Puthupally becoming one of the most talked about events as lakhs waiting to have one last glimpse of him, it was discernible that there is going to be a huge sympathy wave in his favour of Chandy and Congress party sources definitely pegged his son as the candidate.
The top brass of the Congress had recently met at Kottayam and had given the nod to its cadres to get ready and have asked Chandy’s closest aides – senior party legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and former State Minister K.C.Joseph to lead from the front.
The ruling CPI-M has already started their work with allotting their top leaders to take over and commence their work for the upcoming election.
Chandy’s elder daughter Maria Oommen, spotted at the Chandy house in the state capital, said neither she nor younger sister Achu are not into politics.
“If the party decides, Chandy Oommen will be contesting. We just heard the news of the election and it has come even as we are still with our mourning,” she had said prior to the Congress announcement.
According to the Orthodox Church rituals after a death, there is family mourning till the 40th day.
Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan had said that now that the date has been announced, it will take only hours to name the candidate.
“The time has come for the voters at Puthupally and people of Kerala to expose both the state and Central governments and there is no better time than this to ensure our candidate will surely win with a record margin,” he said.
Veteran party legislator Ramesh Chennithala had no doubts that their candidate will win with a staggering margin as Oommen Chandy practically knew most of his voters by their first name.
“The electorate will give a stunning blow to the misgovernance of the (Pinarayi) Vijayan government,” he said.
Congress legislator T. Siddique said the Congress candidate at Puthupally will win with a record breaking margin.
“I told our legislator Uma Thomas (widow of sitting Congress legislator P.T.Thomas who passed away in December 2021) to pack her bags just as they did when they arrived to campaign for her last year and she won with a huge margin. At Puthupally, just wait and see, our candidate will break all records as this is going to be a vote for our dear Oommen Chandy,” he said.
On the other hand, CPI-M state Secretary M.V.Govindan said they don’t think that sympathy factor will work as they are seeing it as a political fight.
“People who are wanting development, will certainly vote for the state government who is going forward with a development agenda so they are not worried at all,” he said.
State Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan, who hails from Kottayam and has been given the charge for the election, said none should forget that Kottayam district always thinks differently.
“Don’t forget that soon after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, our CPI-M candidate Suresh Kurup won the Lok Sabha election, so history is on our side. Moreover out of the eight village council’s in the Puthupally assembly constituency, six are with us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vijayan’s son-in-law and state PWD Minister P.A.Mohammed Riyas also expressed confidence that the Left government is sitting on a strong wicket and people will vote for the state government.
The names of Jaick C.Thomas, who twice contested unsuccessfully against Chandy, and Regi Zachariah, who contested once against Chandy, are the front runners from the CPI-M and one will have to wait till Friday when the CPI-M leadership meets to name their candidate.
–IANS
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