Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly session commenced on Monday with heartfelt tributes to the late Congress veterans Oommen Chandy and Vakkom Purushothaman, who had recently passed away. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan began reminiscing about Vakkom Purushothaman and highlighting the significant contributions of the Congress stalwart to the state in various capacities, including his role as Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, this is the first time in 53 years that an assembly session was convened in the absence of Chandy, who represented the Puthuppally constituency for the past five decades. ‘A decade in Kerala politics has come to an end with the passing away of Oommen Chandy. What he leaves behind in Kerala politics is going to last through times. Only a handful of people in world parliament history have been able to represent the same constituency for five decades without losing a single election. Oommen Chandy stands as one of the select persons who accomplished this remarkable feat. This demonstrates that he had succeeded in winning people’s hearts’, CM Vijayan said.
‘Together with Oommen Chandy, I first joined the Kerala Assembly on the same day in 1970. However, I spent most of my political time outside the assembly. Oommen Chandy, on the other hand, remained a member of the assembly. Despite the opportunities to work on the national stage, he chose to stay in Kerala politics. Even though A.K. Antony and K. Karunakaran went on to become members of parliament, Oommen Chandy retained an affinity for the Kerala Assembly’, Vijayan said.
Speaker A.N Shamseer described Chandy as a leader who, while serving as Chief Minister and Opposition Leader, played a critical role in guaranteeing the functioning of the democratic process in the state. He went on to say that the late Congress leader had a brave heart and displayed fearlessness even when confronted with adversity. Meanwhile, Vijayan remembered Vakkom Purushothaman for being the leader who was able to play a key role during his two terms in Indian Parliament. ‘He was able to show his allegiance and act in accordance with Constitution while serving as Mizoram Governor and Lieutenant governor in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A political career spanning seven decades is an ideal reference for public servants and a new generation’, he added.
Post Your Comments