KOCHI: Hibi Eden, the UDF candidate in the Ernakulam LS seat, turned emotional while addressing the DCC leadership meet on Sunday ahead of kicking off his political campaign officially after his name was declared by Congress high command. “I am the person who is most obliged to the Congress than anyone here”, he said.
“I lost my mother at the age of four. Later, my father George Eden died when I was 19. At the time, the party extended all the support to me and my sister, who became alone following the demise of our father. We had an arrear of about `5 lakh in home loan. K P Dhanapalan, then president of the DCC, handed over `10 lakh to our family, which was not a precedent that time in the party. The interest of the amount was the only income for our livelihood for a while. Later the party awarded the district president of KSU post and then elevated to president of NSUI. Now it has awarded the Ernakulam LS seat, which is a bastion of Congress, to me”, he said.
Hibi said he came accidentally to the poll fray. “The party gave an opportunity to serve as MLA of Ernakulam twice. I believe that I have rendered my responsibilities well and thereby maintained the trust entrusted upon me”, he added.
DCC president T J Vinod presided over the function. Former Ministers K Babu, Dominic Presentation, former MP K P Dhanapalan, N Venugopal and others were present.
Hibi commenced his campaign on the first day after offering prayers at the tomb of his parents. He first offered prayers at the Little Flower Church cemetery at Pottakuzhi, Kaloor, where his father was buried, then at St Sebastian’s Church, Thoppumpadi cemetery where his mother was buried. His wife Anna Linda, daughter Clara Anna Eden and party workers also accompanied the MLA. Later, he visited the family members of late MP MI Shanavas.
The UDF Parliament constituency conference will be held at Town Hall on Monday.