The opposition Congress-UDF secured a resounding victory in the Puthuppally Assembly constituency bypoll in Kerala, with candidate Chandy Oommen winning by an impressive margin of over 36,000 votes, as reported by Election Commission sources. This win was interpreted by the party as a response to the alleged misrule by the ruling LDF and a significant political victory for the Congress.
Chandy Oommen, the son of the late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, established a clear lead right from the initial rounds of counting. His closest rival, Jaick C Thomas from the ruling LDF, failed to secure a lead in any of the rounds. The CPI(M)-led LDF faced setbacks even in its traditionally strong areas, while the BJP candidate Lijin Lal didn’t factor significantly in the race. Chandy Oommen, currently serving as the chairman of the Youth Congress’s national outreach cell, is poised to surpass his father’s record margin of 33,255 votes in the constituency. Oommen Chandy had represented Puthuppally in the state assembly for over five decades. This bypoll outcome, occurring just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is perceived as a significant blow to the ruling CPI(M), which has been plagued by allegations of corruption and nepotism from the Congress-led UDF and the BJP. The bypoll was conducted following the passing of Oommen Chandy, with the election taking place on September 5.
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