Thiruvananthapuram
As the counting of votes in the Puthuppally by-election draws to a close and the final figures await confirmation, Congress candidate Chandy Oommen has secured a substantial victory margin of 36,454 votes. The ultimate official results are expected after the authorities complete their final tally. Chandy Oommen’s remarkable margin of victory surpasses the highest victory margin achieved by his father, Oommen Chandy, in 2011. In that election, Oommen Chandy secured a margin of 33,255 votes, marking the highest victory margin in his 12 outings since 1970. Former Defence Minister A.K. Antony, reacting to the news, noted that his earlier predictions had come true. He had sensed the strong sentiments of the people of Puthuppally in support of Oommen Chandy and had foreseen that the margin of victory would be a significant setback for the CPI(M). The people of the constituency held great love and respect for Chandy, according to Antony. Marimba Oommen Chandy, the wife of Oommen Chandy, expressed her happiness at the news while seated near her husband’s grave. Out of the 176,412 eligible voters, a total of 128,535 cast their votes in the by-election. The election became necessary following the passing of the sitting Congress MLA, Oommen Chandy, who had represented the constituency for a record-breaking 53 years since 1970 and had served as Chief Minister twice. The contenders in the by-election included Chandy’s son, Chandy Oommen, representing the Congress, CPI(M)’s Jaick C. Thomas in his third attempt in the constituency, BJP’s Lijin Lal, and four others. In the 2021 Assembly polls, Chandy had defeated Thomas by 9,044 votes.
