NEW DELHI: When he was alive, people had no difficulty meeting him. But on Tuesday people struggled to get a last glimpse of their leader. That was the kind of tribute given at Thiruvananthapuram to Oommen Chandy, the state’s longest serving legislator, who breathed his last in the early hours of Tuesday at Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bengaluru.
The 79-year-old leader had been undergoing treatment in Bengaluru for the past few months. The end came at 4. 25 am. His demise was announced by his son, Chandy Oommen, in a Facebook post.
Chandy had been an MLA for a record 53 years from his pocket borough of Puthuppally, in Kottayam, winning there in every single assembly election since 1970. As minister four times and CM twice, he also ushered in unprecedented development — from Vizhinjam port and Kochi Metro to Kannur airport — which made him popular across Kerala and earned him a loyal following bordering on the filial.
He will be remembered as one of Kerala’s most popular politicians and beloved CMs, a genuine democrat who never tired of interacting with people and addressing their problems while weathering the worst kinds of political (Palmolein case, for example) and personal (the solar scam) attacks without as much as lifting a little finger to intimidate his detractors or usingthe considerable power at his disposal to silence them.
Chandy, popularly called “kunjunju (an affectionate moniker referring to his childlike quality)”, combined his trademark affability with a political cunning that saw him actively cultivate factionalism to take on Congress strongman K Karunakaran but somehow without undermining the party itself. Subsequently, he was to display the same political acumen in winning new friends and showing potential rivals their place.
His body was flown down to Thiruvananthapuram by a special flight in the afternoon and taken straight to Puthupally House at Jagathy, his home in the city. He had named it after his constituency. From the airport to Jagathy, hundreds of people thronged the sides of the road to pay tribute.
President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and leaders of parties conveyed their condolences on social media. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan mourned his death.
The 79-year-old leader had been undergoing treatment in Bengaluru for the past few months. The end came at 4. 25 am. His demise was announced by his son, Chandy Oommen, in a Facebook post.
Chandy had been an MLA for a record 53 years from his pocket borough of Puthuppally, in Kottayam, winning there in every single assembly election since 1970. As minister four times and CM twice, he also ushered in unprecedented development — from Vizhinjam port and Kochi Metro to Kannur airport — which made him popular across Kerala and earned him a loyal following bordering on the filial.
He will be remembered as one of Kerala’s most popular politicians and beloved CMs, a genuine democrat who never tired of interacting with people and addressing their problems while weathering the worst kinds of political (Palmolein case, for example) and personal (the solar scam) attacks without as much as lifting a little finger to intimidate his detractors or usingthe considerable power at his disposal to silence them.
Chandy, popularly called “kunjunju (an affectionate moniker referring to his childlike quality)”, combined his trademark affability with a political cunning that saw him actively cultivate factionalism to take on Congress strongman K Karunakaran but somehow without undermining the party itself. Subsequently, he was to display the same political acumen in winning new friends and showing potential rivals their place.
His body was flown down to Thiruvananthapuram by a special flight in the afternoon and taken straight to Puthupally House at Jagathy, his home in the city. He had named it after his constituency. From the airport to Jagathy, hundreds of people thronged the sides of the road to pay tribute.
President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and leaders of parties conveyed their condolences on social media. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan mourned his death.
