Kerala Mourns As Former CM Oommen Chandy Passes Away At 79; Know More About The People's Leader

Fondly known as the 'Jananayakan'- the people's leader, Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (79) passed away on Monday morning. He was undergoing treatment for cancer at a hospital in Bengaluru.

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Living among the people, Oommen Chandy's political career as a leader was the pinnacle of populism. A socialite, he was a great tree that took deep roots in the soil of Puthupalli and spread to the political landscape of Kerala.

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Oommen Chandy has been the longest serving member of the assembly in Kerala and has completed 53 years as a member of the assembly. He was the Chief Minister for seven years, 2004-2006 and 2011-2016.

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He served as Labor Minister (1977-1978), Home Minister (1982), Finance Minister (1991-1994) and Leader of Opposition (2006-2011). From 1970 to 2021, he was elected Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly for twelve consecutive terms from Puthupally.

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He entered politics through KSU, the student body of the Congress, while studying in school. Later he became the state president of KSU and Youth Congress organizations and later became a member of AICC.

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Oommen Chandy contested for assembly elections for the first time from Pudupally in 1970. What followed was a series of wins-1977, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021. Every time from the same constituency- Pudupally.

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Chandy is known for his unwavering strength in times of tough political battles, the most recent one being the Solar Case in which he was, after a long trial, found innocent. In all the accolades that adorn his persona, the most famous one is for being a 'people's leader'.

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During his tenure as the CM, he became quite popular for meeting common people, receiving petitions directly from them and listening to their complaints first hand, very frequently. The heartfelt condolence messages pouring in from all over the political spectrum, is testimony to the significance of Oommen in Kerala's development and politics.

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His name and life will definitely go down in golden letters in Kerala's history. A public holiday has been declared in the state on Tuesday. Two days of official mourning has also been declared.

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