Chandy Oommen declares assets valued at Rs 15.99 lakh in election affidavit.

Chandy Oommen, the United Democratic Front candidate, has revealed assets worth Rs 15.99 lakh in the affidavit submitted for the September 5 bypoll to the Puthuppally Legislative Assembly Constituency in Kerala.

According to the affidavit, Chandy Oommen’s assets include deposits in eight banks and Rs 15,000 in cash, totaling Rs 15,98,600. No other properties, whether movable or immovable, are registered under his name. Chandy Oommen, son of former Kerala chief minister and Congress leader late Oommen Chandy, also has liabilities amounting to Rs 12.73 lakh owed to various banks and societies.

The 37-year-old candidate’s profile indicates his profession as an advocate and social worker, with a monthly income of Rs 25,000. However, he is facing pending cases against him in several police stations, including Pathanamthitta, Enath, Ranni, and Thiruvananthapuram Fort, related to his participation in political agitations.

Notably, Chandy Oommen was fined Rs 1,800 by the Kottayam Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court for blocking the Chief Minister’s convoy in November 2020, in violation of Covid-19 protocols.

Interestingly, Purushothaman Nair (90), a retired teacher and author, who previously signed nomination papers for Oommen Chandy, has also signed on the nomination papers for his son this time. Oommen Chandy had a close relationship with Nair, who was actively involved in the Congress party. Chandy Oommen, aware of this connection, requested Nair’s signature on his nomination papers, and Nair obliged by signing the documents.

Reflecting on a past election victory, Nair recounted a mix of emotions during the 1977 polls. Oommen Chandy and Nair faced an attack in Kottayam after the election results were declared. Despite Oommen Chandy’s victory in the assembly constituency, celebrations were subdued due to the Congress party’s poor performance in both the Lok Sabha and State elections, which were held concurrently. Nair held a prominent role as the patron of the Pambadi union, an apolitical student organization known as Balajanasakhyam.