Continuing the legacy of Oommen Chandy, his son and Congress candidate Chandy Oommen emerged victorious in Puthuppally bypolls, according to the lead reports. Junior Chandy defeated his nearest rival CPM”s Jaick C Thomas and BJP candidate G.Lijin Lal came third.

According to the data from the Election Commission of India, Chandy Oommen has secured 80,144 votes with a margin of 37,719 while LDF”s Jaick C Thomas has 42,425.

Chandy Oommen surpassed his father”s highest victory margin in Puthuppally from 2011 when Oommen Chandy won the constituency by a margin of 33,255 votes against Suja Susan George of the CPM. The voter turnout was 72.91% in this bypoll, lower than the 77.36% figure in May 2021 assembly elections.

“The people have responded. Puthuppally, that was with Oommen Chandy for 53 years and nurtured in his palms, has now been handed over to Chandy Ommen by the people, and it will be safe in his hands,” reacted Chandy Oommen”s sister Achu Oommen.

Both the fronts, Kerala’s Congress-led United Democratic Front or UDF and CPM-led Left Democratic Front or LDF, ran a bitter campaign that culminated in the voting on September 5. Congress and candidate Chandy Oommen concentrated on the legacy of his father, whose death caused the byelection in the constitutency, the CPM”s campaign ran on the promise of change in Puthuppally where the former Chief Minister was an MLA for five decades.

The results of this election is not going to change the electoral arithmetic in the state as the ruling LDF is having a mammoth majority in the legislative assembly. However, it is a boost for the Congress-led UDF as the general elections 2024 approaching.