Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy (79) has passed away. He died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru.
He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for a long time. Funeral ceremony will take place at Puthupally. A public holiday has been declared in the state today to mourn the loss of Oommen Chandy.
He was a political leader and socialite who left an indelible mark on the political history of Kerala. Oommen Chandy was the longest-serving Member of the Legislative Assembly in Kerala, serving for 53 years. He held the position of Chief Minister for a total of seven years, from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016.
Throughout his career, he also held various ministerial positions, including Minister of Labor (1977-1978), Minister of Home Affairs (1982), Minister of Finance (1991-1994), and Leader of the Opposition (2006-2011). From 1970 to 2021, he was elected as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly for twelve consecutive terms from Puthupally. He was a member of the Congress Working Committee and served as the All India Congress General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh.
Oommen Chandy was born on October 31, 1943, to K. O. Chandy and Baby Chandy in Puthupally Karot Vallakal, Kottayam district, Kumarakat.
He was a political leader and socialite who left an indelible mark on the political history of Kerala. Oommen Chandy was the longest-serving Member of the Legislative Assembly in Kerala, serving for 53 years. He held the position of Chief Minister for a total of seven years, from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016.
Throughout his career, he also held various ministerial positions, including Minister of Labor (1977-1978), Minister of Home Affairs (1982), Minister of Finance (1991-1994), and Leader of the Opposition (2006-2011). From 1970 to 2021, he was elected as a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly for twelve consecutive terms from Puthupally. He was a member of the Congress Working Committee and served as the All India Congress General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh.
Oommen Chandy was born on October 31, 1943, to K. O. Chandy and Baby Chandy in Puthupally Karot Vallakal, Kottayam district, Kumarakat. After completing his education at St. George's High School in Puthupally, Kottayam CMS College, Changanassery SB College, and obtaining a law degree from Ernakulam Law College, he ventured into politics.
During his school days, he began his political journey through KSU, the student body of the Congress party. He initially served as the president of the KSU unit at St. George's High School in Puthupally. Subsequently, he ascended to the position of state president of KSU and Youth Congress organizations, eventually becoming a member of AICC.
Oommen Chandy, who was the president of the Youth Congress, made his debut in parliamentary politics by contesting in Pudupally in the assembly elections held on 17 September 1970. He defeated EM George, the sitting MLA of the CPM, by 7,288 votes and won in Kanniyangam. Later, the constituency was Pudupalli until the last assembly election in 2021.