Chandy’s legacy lives on in the hearts of people

Thiruvananthapuram Congress veteran Oommen Chandy - OC to fellow party workers and ‘Kunjunju’ to family members - will go down in the annals of state history as one of the most popular politicians the state has ever had.

Seventy-nine-year-old Chandy, who served as Chief Minister of Kerala twice, passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru in the wee hours of Tuesday. Ailing from throat cancer, the veteran leader had not been keeping well for quite some time and was staying in Bengaluru since last November.

As a mark of respect, the Kerala government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday. The banks are not functioning and all examinations have been postponed. Also, a three-day mourning will be observed in the state. Among quite a few records Chandy held, one record which is unlikely to be breached is as the longest-serving legislator in the state Assembly. He won his first election in 1970 from his home constituency Puthupally in Kottayam district. When he passed away, he was the sitting legislator from the same constituency for an uninterrupted 53 years.