Hours after the death of Congress leader Oommen Chandy, speculation began on who would replace him as the party candidate from the Puthuppally constituency. KPCC chief K Sudhakaran announced that it would be someone from Chandy’s family. Unofficial discussions have already started, and the official decision will be made in a few days. The family, not the party, will decide who the candidate will be.
Sudhakaran also urged the ruling LDF in Kerala to refrain from contesting for the Puthuppally constituency seat as a gesture of respect for Chandy. However, this request was rejected by LDF convener E P Jayarajan, who stated that elections are a political norm and not about individuals.
Sudhakaran also disapproved of a social media post by Congress leader Cherian Philip, who advocated for Chandy’s son, Chandy Oommen, to be the successor. Sudhakaran had a conversation with Philip about it and expressed his disagreement. Philip had highlighted Chandy Oommen’s qualifications and praised all three of Chandy’s children for their political awareness.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan assured that once a by-election is announced for the Puthuppally seat, the party will quickly decide on a candidate without any arguments or disputes. The possibility of a candidate from Chandy’s family is being considered by the party.
