Veteran politician, loyal party member and a linchpin for Indian National Congress party in Kerala, 77-year-old Oommen Chandy dons many hats in the Congress political arena.
The twice former chief minister of Kerala, though not in consecutive terms, is being pulled in by Congress as the party struggles to find a foothold in the upcoming state elections on April 6, 2021.
Born in 1943 in a Syrian Orthodox Christian family, Oommen Chandy rose through the ranks after learning the ropes of politics during college days through Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of Congress party. The hardcore congressman has the unique distinction of representing Puthuppaly constituency in the Legislative Assembly since 1970s.
Though he is remembered for his 100-day programme to fast track projects in Kerala, the allegations and corruption charges that followed, including the sensational solar scam, took a major toll on his political career.
In fact, it was ironic that a man who was honoured with United Nations Public Service Award in 2013 for 'Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service’ in the Asia-Pacific region has been embroiled in corruption cases.
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The current Congress Working Committee member and the official Congress candidate from Puthuppally, Oommen Chandy faces a mammoth task of turning the tables in favour of Congress party, which has been faltering in Kerala and the pan Indian political stage for a while due to bad leadership and decisions.
Will Oommen Chandy be able to pull the rug off CPM-led Kerala state government and make history on April 6, 2021?
