It was almost impossible to see former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy alone. A teeming crowd always surrounded him. He never closed his doors on anyone, not even when he was the CM. It was as if he drew his energy from the people. One would never see him losing his cool, even on long hectic days. Two-time CM and the longest-serving legislator of the Kerala Assembly, his six-decade-long political career is also the story of the state’s political history.
Chandy entered politics as a student leader in the 1960s, and since then, there has been no looking back. He was CM from 2004 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2016, and he also served as Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2011. While his first stint saw him initiating several infrastructure projects, scandals marred his second term, affecting him personally and politically. A tactical politician to the hilt, Chandy never opted for confrontational politics but always knew how to achieve what he wanted. He was a rare combination of gentleman politics layered with Machiavellian traits. He was equally good at winning the trust of allies, especially the Muslim League, the Congress’ crucial partner in the state. The clout wielded by ‘OC’—as he was popularly known in political circles—was such that it often forced even the powerful Congress high command to bend before him. His Machiavellian side came to the fore when he unseated the all-powerful ‘Leader’ K Karunakaran by putting A K Antony at the forefront. Chandy was also one of the most development-oriented CMs. The SmartCity-Kochi (IT Park at Kakkanad), Vizhinjam International Seaport, and Kannur Airport are other showpiece projects initiated during his regime. His ‘public adalats’ were phenomenal in solving people’s problems.
The love for the departed leader was evident when people thronged on both sides of the road to bid him farewell on his last journey from the capital to his hometown Puthuppally in Kottayam district. For him, politics was an opportunity to help the poor and needy—that was his guiding philosophy in whatever he did. He was humane to the core. That shone through in his personal and political actions, endearing him to the masses. Now that he is no more, the crowd is feeling lonely. He will be missed badly.