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Congress banks on old war horse Oomen Chandy to regain power in Kerala
At 77, former Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy continues to be a trouble shooter for the Congress in the election-bound state
At 77, former Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy continues to be a trouble shooter for the Congress in the election-bound state.
Chandy returned from Kannur, about 400 km away from Kottayam, on Saturday night after settling a rebellion over seat distribution. His supporters are concerned about the health of the aging war horse.
“He has to cut down his travel and look after his health,” said a supporter as believers crowded around Chandy and flooded him with requests and complaints after Sunday’s mass at St George Orthodox Church at Puthuppally in Kottayam.
Chandy has represented Puthuppally constituency for more than 52 years and has a special affinity with the voters. Last week, people turned violent when rumours spread that he will be shifting to Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram to take on the BJP in the saffron party’s lone seat in the outgoing assembly.
Such was the heartburn that Chandy had to pacify a youngster who climbed atop the roof of his house and threatened to take his life if he changed his constituency. His supporters know that every Sunday he would be at the church in the last row.
Chandy’s hands are now full ahead of the April 6 voting. The party is depending heavily on the veteran to regain power even as the ruling Left Front’s threat of forming a government for a second consecutive term looms large.
The Congress party’s biggest crowd puller in the state, Chandy has his ears to the ground which also makes him an ace troubleshooter. When Pathanamthitta district Congress committee president Mohanraj threatened to quit the party and contest as a rebel, Chandy’s quick visit to Pathanamthitta placated the hurt leader. His followers say he has an uncanny knack to untie complex knots.
After Sunday’s mass, he headed for his elder sister Valsamma home nearby for tea in what has become a routine for decades before heading to his own house at the heart of his constituency. The house was crowded with supporters with almost all of them with an application in their hands mentioning their requests. He spent another two hours in their midst.
“We don’t have money to match the blitzkrieg of the ruling party. But the ground situation is favourable to us. The situation will improve further with Rahul Gandhi’s visit. He has agreed to campaign extensively in the state,” he said while eating a quick breakfast.
But he remained evasive about whether he would be chief minister if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) regains power.
“That is for the party to decide. Our first aim is to win the poll,” he said.
Chandy was generous in his praise of fellow Congressman and leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala who could be a rival for the CM’s post.
“He is the best opposition leader the state has had in the recent past. One by one he brought into focus the many omissions and commissions of the government forcing the corrupt regime to its knees several times,” he said.
An astute politician and grassroots leader when Chandy addresses local leaders by their names when he visits any constituency in nearby districts. While his friends A K Antony (former defence minister) and Vayalar Ravi (former overseas affairs minister) entered national politics he preferred to stay at home. Antony was not into factional politics that has bugged the Congress in Kerala for long, but Chandy maintained his hold on the group after veteran leader K Karunakarn’s exit. His followers say he will go to any extent to protect those close to him.
Chandy rose from the ranks. An active worker of the Kerala Students’ Union later he became its president. He was elected to Kerala assembly for the first time in 1970 from Puthuppally and hasn’t looked back since then. His opponents tried their best to block his uninterrupted stint but failed.
Chandy survived the solar scandal of 2013. In January this year, the Pinrayi Vijayan government handed over the sensational cheating and sex scandal cases of the solar scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But Chandy remained unfazed and instead he welcomed it.
“I am a believer. If your conscience is clear you don’t have to worry about anything,” he had said after the state government handed over the case to the CBI.
