Chandy Oommen, Son of Late Oommen Chandy, Expresses Displeasure Over Party Treatment

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
First-time Congress legislator Chandy Oommen, the son of late two-time Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has expressed unhappiness over the way party leadership is treating him.

Speaking about the recent Palakkad Assembly bypoll, Chandy Oommen stated, “While others were given responsibilities for the campaign, I was not assigned any work in the party.”

“I refrained from commenting earlier, and I do not wish to elaborate even now. I was in Palakkad for only one day. The leadership must take everyone together. It is their duty,” he added.

Addressing the ongoing discussions about changes in party leadership, Oommen dismissed the need to replace the current state party president, K. Sudhakaran. “There is no need for such talks. What we need is the inclusion of more young members during the reorganisation of the party. The leadership must prioritise unity,” he said.

The Congress party in Kerala is abuzz with talks of a generational shift, as calls grow for the 76-year-old state party president, K. Sudhakaran, to step down. Sudhakaran, who represents the CPI(M) stronghold of Kannur in the Lok Sabha, has dismissed such speculations. “It’s only the TV channels discussing this; there is no such move,” Sudhakaran had remarked on Monday.

Chandy Oommen contested and won from his late father’s traditional Assembly constituency, which Oommen Chandy represented uninterrupted from 1970 to 2023, setting a record as the longest-serving legislator in the state.

After Oommen Chandy passed away, the Congress leadership unanimously decided to field Chandy Oommen as his successor. The 37-year-old secured a landslide victory with a margin of over 37,000 votes last year.

Unlike his father, Chandy Oommen has maintained a reserved approach since his election, spending time in his constituency, which still holds fond memories of his father.

Even more than a year after Oommen Chandy’s passing, people continue to gather daily at his tomb, located in a special memorial at his home parish next to his residence, to pay their respects.