KOTTAYAM: Across the Puthuppally constituency, one can hardly find a wall poster or flex board with a smiling face of the UDF candidate for the assembly election.
However, the candidate is known as Chandy Oommen, UDF’s candidate for Puthuppally, has chosen to deviate from the traditional campaigning methods by forgoing posters and flex boards, thereby sparking a ‘Green’ movement in this assembly election. At a time when some Congress leaders incurred significant losses for printing their posters and flex boards without securing a ticket, Chandy is setting a precedent for environmentally conscious campaigning by avoiding posters or flex boards.
Each morning, he embarks on his hybrid bicycle to engage with the voters personally, making his primary campaign strategy. With his new method of electioneering, he not only champions environmental sustainability, but also saves money for his charity activities. “While this is an eco-friendly campaign, it also brings me closer to my objective of building homes for the homeless people in my constituency,” Chandy said. “I have already completed 48 houses and laid foundation stones for another 25 houses. By cutting costs on campaign materials, I can redirect more than `25 lakh towards my mission. My ultimate goal is to build 100 houses for the homeless within five years,” he added.
Avoiding campaign materials, Chandy concentrates more on door-to-door, digital and voice campaigning. He has chosen cycling as a means to connect with voters across the constituency.
“I usually start by 6.30 am and reach out to maximum areas possible. It is a simple method of campaigning, allowing me to proceed independently without waiting for others to start my campaign. I can go solo everywhere,” he said.
“I have already covered four out of eight grama panchayats in the constituency by cycle. This involves travelling corner-to-corner. With the candidate’s vehicle campaign underway, I cycle in the morning and join the vehicle tour in the afternoon,” he added. Chandy’s new model of campaigning has influenced his rival candidates, LDF’s K M Radhakrishnan and NDA’s Raveendranath Vakathanam, to similarly reduce their campaign materials, shaping this poll into a more low-key affair for the constituency.