THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former chief minister Oomen Chandy on Wednesday conducted a 'padayatra'(protest march) in his constituency, Puthupally in Kottayam against the farm laws.

This is the first time a political leader in the state held a protest march against the farm laws since the farmers' protest began.

Chandy met several social leaders, including Church heads and Sukumaran Nair, the general secretary of the powerful forward caste Nair Service Society. The Nair community has been a traditional support base for the Congress and Oommen Chandy even though being a Christian enjoys an excellent personal rapport with him.

Chandy, however, told the media persons that his protest march against the farm laws was specifically for the cause of the farmers of North India, who are fighting against the laws, he said adding that there should not be given any other meaning to this.

The protest march is being termed as significant as there have been calls from several corners of the Congress party to bring in Oomen Chandy to revive the party fortunes after the drubbing it has received in the recent local body elections.

With the Assembly elections fast approaching, the Congress party is on a fire fighting mode in the state.

A team of party leaders led by congress general secretary in-charge of Kerala, Tariq Anwar is in the state holding discussions with the party leaders, including grassroots workers on their feedback regarding the drubbing it received in the local body elections.