No flexboards, reached out to people on a bicycle; Chandy Oommen wins big in Puthuppally with record 52,000+ vote margin

KOTTAYAM: With a simple campaign and strong grassroots connect, Chandy Oommen has once again proven his strength in Puthuppally as the successor of Oommen Chandy. After 16 rounds of counting, he is set to return to the Assembly with a record margin of 52,907 votes.

While other candidates spent large sums on campaigning, Chandy Oommen chose a different path. There were no large banners or grand events. He focused on an eco-friendly campaign. His approach of reaching out to people on a bicycle and directly asking for votes drew public attention. His promise to use campaign funds to build houses for the poor also made a strong impact among voters.

In the by-election held after the death of Oommen Chandy, he had won by a margin of 37,719 votes. Puthuppally has a history of supporting Oommen Chandy for 53 years. This time, Chandy Oommen has surpassed his father’s records, crossing a margin of over 50,000 votes, which is seen as a personal achievement.

Since his legal career and studies were mostly outside Kerala, Chandy Oommen was not very familiar with the constituency initially. However, over the past three years, he has been actively present in every part of the constituency, earning a place in the hearts of the people of Puthuppally.