Thiruvananthapuram: The campaigning for the Puthuppally bypoll has heated up after the arrival of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here.
The CM came here on Thursday night to campaign for his party’s candidate.
The election became a necessity after the demise of sitting legislator and two-time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on July 18. He represented the constituency in Kottayam district non-stop from 1970 till July 18, when he passed away.
Early this month, when the announcement came that the by-election will be held on September 5, all were caught unawares as none expected it would be held so fast.
Counting of votes will take place on September 8 and the winner will be sworn-in on September 11 when the Assembly session resumes.
Taking the pole position was the Congress when it took only a few hours to announce Late Chandy’s 37-year-old Chandy Oommen to be their candidate.
On the other hand it took a few days for the CPI(M) to announce their candidate. It was not a surprise as they decided to give a third successive chance to Jaick C.Thomas who fought Chandy in the 2011 and 2016 polls.
The BJP has fielded Lijin Lal, who came third in the 2016 Assembly polls from the nearby constituency at Kaduthuruthy.
Expressing absolute confidence in the outcome, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who is stayput at the constituency, said, “If we don’t achieve the targeted margin of victory, I will take that responsibility, if we achieve it, I will give it to the teamwork of the Congress-led UDF.”
He then reminded that at the last year’s by-election at Tripunithura when sitting Congress legislator P.T. Thomas passed away and his widow was fielded, he said, in case the Congress candidate loses, he will take the responsibility.
“Remember what I said in Tripunithura. I say this again, if we lose at Puthuppally, I will be responsible,” added Satheesan.
In the 12 Assembly elections that Chandy contested from 1970 he secured the highest margin at the 2011 polls of over 33,000 votes and he went on to become the Chief Minister for the second time.
But, state Minister for Cooperation and top CPI(M) leader from the district V.N. Vasavan, who lost to Chandy twice and is now spearheading his party’s campaign, said, “If anyone suspects that there is a secret deal between the BJP and the Congress, they should not be faulted, as just see how quick the by-election date was announced, all done to help the Congress.
“Such a quick holding of a by-election after the passing away of a legislator has not happened before in Kerala. Even the 40th day of the demise is not over, but the date was announced,” said Vasavan.
Reacting to this was state BJP president K. Surendran, who said that this statement from the CPI(M) shows they have given up the election battle.
“All the time the CPI(M) has just one narrative to say and it is the deal between the Congress and the BJP, which is baseless and devoid of any iota of truth,” said Surendran.
The campaign for the Congress will gather steam with the arrival of Rahul Gandhi and it remains to be seen if national CPI(M) leaders and from the BJP are going to arrive.
Meanwhile the 40th day prayers of Chandy will be held at his home parish at the St George Church, Puthuppally on Saturday morning and according to the Syrian Orthodox Church, with this the official mourning ends and a huge number of people is expected to take part in the prayers.
–IANS
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