THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The assembly session began Monday morning after paying tributes to former chief minister Oommen Chandy and former governor Vakkom Purushothaman, who died recently. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recalled that Chandy was a rarity in the world parliamentary history and an important era in Kerala politics has come to an end.

‘There was no damage to our friendship even though we were in two political slums. When the LDF directed my name for the chief ministerial post in 2016, the first thing I did was to visit Oommen Chandy, who was holding the post before that. There has been excellent cooperation from him including the running of the assembly. Hard work and perseverance always guided Chandy. He was a person who did not give importance to food and sleep and did not even look at his health,’ said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Speaker A N Shamseer condoled that Oommen Chandy was a leader who energized the crowd. ‘Chandy has always been a textbook for students of politics and public servants. His only distinction is that he was able to win from one assembly constituency for 53 years. He was so attached to the people of the Puthupally constituency. He was a popular leader who traveled far and wide in Kerala and listened to the people,’ said the speaker.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan, leaders including Kunhalikutty remembered Chandy. The assembly also remembered senior congress leader, former minister and governor Vakkom Purushothaman. He died on July 31st.