Congress announces Oommen Chandy's son as party candidate for Puthuppally bypoll

Hours after the Election Commission declared September 5 as the date for the bypoll to Puthuppally assembly constituency in Kottayam district, the Congress announced Chandy Oommen -- son of late Kerala CM Oommen Chandy -- as their candidate for the seat.

The AICC in a statement said that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Chandy Oommen as the party candidate for the byelection to the Puthuppally constituency which fell vacant with the demise of Chandy last month.

Chandy died in Bengaluru on July 18.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MP K Sudhakaran said that AICC has approved Oommen as the UDF and party candidate for the bypoll.

'He will begin campaigning from tomorrow. KPCC will form a team which will be responsible for the campaigning work,' he said.

Sudhakaran also said that the Puthuppally bypoll would be the beginning of the 'politics of love' that was proposed and encouraged by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

'Chandy's memories would be there in Kerala's political arena and during the bypolls as well as in the people's minds. His memories will sway the people's minds, Congress is confident of that.

'Therefore, Chandy Oommen will win by a huge margin,' he said.

Sudhakaran also said that the bypoll would be an assessment of the ruling LDF government in the state.

The counting of votes for the September 5 bypoll will be held on September 8.