KOTTAYAM: As Chandy galloped like a competitive athlete, emulating his father's slogan of greater the speed, greater the distance, party members struggled to keep up. Their Kunjunjun's son received a loving welcome along the way. Elders put their hands on his heads and blessed him. Little children competed to hold his hands and shake them. Chandy stood as one of them with a bright smile without disappointing anyone. When some people sighed in memory of Oommen Chandy, Chandy comforted them by holding their hands and patting them on the shoulder. Newly elected MLA Chandy Oommen touched the hearts of the people by taking a walk in the pattern of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra to thank the voters who helped him achieve a record victory in Puthuppally. He walked 28 kilometres through eight panchayats. Chandy's padayatra began in the morning by kneeling at the tomb of Puthuppally Church and receiving the blessings of Appa's invisible presence. The padayatra started from Vakathanam Nalunnakkal at 8 am and concluded at Kooroppad in the evening. There was a long queue of people at the house of the elected MLA in Puthuppally from the morning with multiple requests. Like Oommen Chandy's public interaction programme, Chandy proved himself to be his father's successor by summoning all those concerned.

MLA office will be avoided

Chandy said that there needs to be more communication to know things from the people, and Padayatra is the beginning of that. "No more rest. Appa's path is right and will also follow that path. Rahul Gandhi is the inspiration. Appa used to come back to Puthuppally every Sunday but I would be in Puthuppally most of the days. Appa did not have MLA office and that is my wish too", Chandy said