KOCHI: For over five decades, Puthuppally has shared an emotional bond with Oommen Chandy. It was so deep that the constituency and the leader became almost inseparable. What began as a political experiment in 1970, however, went on to become one of Kerala’s most enduring electoral legacies, written indelibly as a popular chief minister.
Back in 1970, the move to field a young Chandy in Puthuppally was part of a decision to revive the Congress party in the state. However, it ended up as a piece of history that remains unbeatable.
“The Youth Congress was more revolutionary and aggressive than the Communist Party in the 1970s,” said P Sujathan, a political observer.
“Chandy had good influence in central Kerala, Kottayam and Changanassery. Since the Congress was looking for a generational change to win the election, he was fielded in Puthuppally.”
With Coconut Tree as his election symbol that year, Chandy defeated veteran CPI leader E M George. Reflecting on his first experience contesting an election, he had admitted in an interview that he was then unaware of campaigns and strategies.
“I was part of the KSU and the Youth Congress. The party was in a crisis following the split. There were no leaders to lead the campaign. So, the people started campaigning for me, constituting election committees and organising campaigns,” Chandy said in the interview.
Despite several attempts by the Left, Chandy remained unbeaten in Puthuppally. Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, many candidates -- including P C Cherian, M R G Panickar and Thomas Rajan -- tried but failed to defeat him.
Later, V N Vasavan and Reji Zacharia too lost out. The LDF even fielded leaders such as Sindhu Joy and Suja Susan George, but the result remained unchanged.
In 2016 and 2021, Jaick C Thomas, CPM’s young leader and a Puthupally resident, contested against him but lost on both occasions.
In the 2023 by-election necessitated by the former chief minister’s death, his son Chandy Oommen too defeated Jaick.
“The voters in Puthupally are grateful to their former MLA. Whenever the residents needed help, he would write to the authorities concerned and arrange treatment facilities. Even when he became the chief minister, he remained accessible to the voters,” Sujathan added.