Kottayam (Kerala) | A day after the Election Commission announced the date for the bypoll in Puthuppally here, the opposition Congress kick-started its door-to-door campaign in the constituency on Wednesday with its candidate Chandy Oommen visiting houses, places of worship and meeting people.
Beating its political rivals, including the ruling CPI(M), the party swiftly announced the candidature of Chandy Oommen, the son of late chief minister Oommen Chandy, on Tuesday, soon after the by-election date was announced for September 5.
The bypoll was necessitated in Puthuppally, a traditional Congress bastion, following the demise of the Congress stalwart while undergoing treatment for cancer in Bengaluru last month.
Chandy had represented the constituency in the Kerala Assembly for 53 consecutive years.
Seeking to cash in on the sentiment wave following Chandy's demise and banking on his immense popularity cutting across party politics, the Congress didn't think twice about fielding his son to defend his father's bastion, which he had held for over five decades without any break.
The 37-year-old Chandy Oommen, who is currently chairman of the Youth Congress's national outreach cell, was also not a new face in the constituency, as he had been accompanying his father in Puthuppally for party and personal programmes for several years.
Launching his campaign after offering prayers at the tomb of Ommen Chandy at the parish church here, he visited various houses and places of worship and met people in person canvassing for his candidature.
"My father had lived his entire life for the Congress party. It is my responsibility to stand by the Congress party. People's love for Oommen Chandy will reflect in this election," he told reporters here.
The party leadership also expressed confidence that Chandy's son would retain the constituency with a record majority of votes.
However, the CPI(M) seems not to be ready to give an easy walk to the Congress party in its pocket borough.
The ruling party is yet to announce its candidate for the bypoll, but discussions are in full-swing to find a suitable person, party sources said.
Giving indications about a tough battle, party central committee member A K Balan said during the last assembly polls, the Marxist party candidate could drastically reduce the majority secured by Oommen Chandy, so they are not scared about his son's candidature this time.
"Oommen Chandy had won by just a narrow margin last time. So, we are not scared about Chandy Oommen's candidature this time," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
He also alleged that the constituency was facing stagnation in terms of development because Chandy had represented it for over five decades.
However, Congress leader and MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan rejected the charges and stated that the people would vote against the "anti-people policies" of the Vijayan government.
"The LDF government is so unpopular, people will vote against its anti-people policies. We are confident that Congress will win by a decisive margin," he told PTI.
The opposition BJP said that they would finalise and announce their candidate this week.
Meanwhile, a local unit of the Congress has sent letters to the Election Commission and the district collector seeking postponement of the bypoll date as it falls amid the eight-day fast at the famous Manarcadu Church here.
St Mary's Cathedral or Manarcadu Church is a famous Christian pilgrimage centre in the state, K K Raju, a block committee president of the party here, said in the letter.
"September 1 to 8 is the eight-day Lent commemorating the birth of St Mary... Therefore, it is necessary to postpone the by-election announced on September 5 to another day," he pointed out in the letter.
The CPI(M) local leadership has also reportedly raised the same issue with the authorities.
The counting of votes for the September 5 bypoll will be held on September 8
